Chennai police to launch strict SOP to tackle laser menace near airport

In response to a rising number of incidents involving laser lights aimed at aircraft, the Greater Chennai Police (GCP) is preparing a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to enhance patrol and enforcement around the Chennai International Airport.

The initiative follows a high-level meeting held on June 11, chaired by N Kannan, IPS, Additional Commissioner of GCP. Key stakeholders including the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), CISF, and other security agencies participated in the discussions.

AAI presented data pinpointing laser disruptions faced by pilots landing from the St Thomas Mount and Pallavaram end of the runway. Geolocation data has also helped trace possible sources of the laser beams.

Authorities suspect that many of the beams originate from parties or concerts using laser lights, which inadvertently get directed towards the flight path. This poses a serious safety threat, with 25 such incidents already recorded in 2025. The problem has been escalating — 70 cases were recorded in 2024, up from 51 in 2023.

As part of the new SOP, police will begin filing FIRs based on written complaints from AAI, replacing the earlier practice of responding to oral reports. Patrols in the St Thomas Mount police district — under whose jurisdiction the airport falls — will be intensified.

Shining laser beams at aircraft is a punishable offence under multiple laws, including Section 125 and 223(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Rules 65 and 66 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937.