- A laser beam disoriented the pilot of Malaysia Airlines flight MH-184 near Kolkata airport
- The incident occurred around 11:20 pm when the flight was eight nautical miles from the runway
- The pilot circled and landed safely at 11:25 pm, five minutes after the scheduled time
A laser beam disoriented the pilot of Malaysia Airlines flight MH-184, carrying 159 passengers near Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, forcing him to circle and land safely later.
According to sources at the airport, the incident occurred around 11:20 pm on Saturday. The Kuala Lumpur-Kolkata flight was approximately eight nautical miles from the runway when a flash of light from the Madhyamgram-Barasat direction struck the cockpit, momentarily disorienting the pilot.
The flight was scheduled to land at 11.20 pm, but the laser-light incident forced the pilot to land at 11.25 pm.
The carrier has informed the airport authorities, who filed a complaint with the NSCBI Airport Police Station, the sources added.
The use of laser lights around the airport is banned. However, such incidents occur occasionally and can impact flight operations, a senior airport official told PTI.
The police authorities are probing the case.
Also read: Parked IndiGo Plane Hit By Car At Kolkata Airport, Grounded For Inspections
It wasn't the first time pilots have raised concerns about laser lights in the cockpit. During the 2025 Durga Puja festival, laser lights used near the Sreebhumi Sporting Club pandal reportedly triggered concerns among pilots, following which the laser show was stopped, reported the news agency.
In April this year, a catering vehicle had lost control at the Kolkata airport and crashed into an engine of a waiting Indigo plane.
Sources had said the vehicle had rolled forward and collided with the aircraft's engine.
In a statement, Indigo said, "A third-party unmanned vehicle on the apron moved and came in contact with a parked IndiGo aircraft".
