Cesac investigates people who point airplanes with laser beams at Dominican airports

Santo Domingo.- The director of the Specialized Corps for Airport Security and Civil Aviation (Cesac) in the Dominican Republic, Floreal Suárez Martínez, has stated that the agency, along with other aeronautical and security organizations, is investigating cases of individuals pointing laser beams at aircraft during their landing preparations at airports.

This investigation comes in response to a recent incident in which a video posted on social media showed a green laser beam being pointed at the cockpit of an American Airlines plane as it was descending at Las Américas International Airport (AILA) in Santo Domingo.

Suárez Martínez emphasized that multiple cases of laser interference with aircraft have been reported at airports in the country, posing serious safety risks to passengers and flight crews. Interfering with a laser beam can disrupt a pilot’s vision and flight instruments, endangering both the people on board the aircraft and those on the ground.

The practice of pointing lasers at aircraft is considered illicit air interference and is punishable under Article 319 of Law 491-06 on civil aviation in the Dominican Republic, carrying a penalty of 2 to 5 years of imprisonment.

The authorities and agencies involved are working diligently to address this issue, considering the safety of air travel and the potential consequences of such interference.