A passenger on the FlyArystan Aktobe–Almaty flight on 7 August captured on video the moment when, according to them, an unknown person directed a laser beam towards the cockpit during the approach to landing.
According to the Telegram channel ‘ZTB NEWS’, the author of the footage noted that the approximate location of the light source can be determined from the video.
It is noted that the incident occurred on the eve of the new law coming into force, which provides for punishment for interfering with the operation of an aircraft using laser devices and unmanned aerial vehicles.
‘Such actions pose a direct threat to flight safety, especially at critical moments – during take-off and landing. Pilots may temporarily lose their sight, which could potentially lead to an aviation accident,’ the Prosecutor General's Office reported the day before.
The penalty for this varies depending on the consequences of the act – from a fine or arrest to imprisonment for up to 10 years.
According to the Prosecutor General's Office, over the past six years, 98 similar cases have been recorded in Kazakhstan, most of them at Almaty International Airport. Until recently, the law did not provide for liability for such actions.