Pilots are again calling for regulations around the sale of hand-held, high-power lasers following an increase in people aiming them at planes.
A Pacific Blue jet with 96 passengers on board was struck with a laser beam just before midnight on Monday as it was descending towards Auckland International Airport en route from Brisbane.
The plane landed safely and is the 16th such attack this year.
The number of laser beam strikes reported to the Civil Aviation Authority has increased from just three in 2006 to 78 last year.
The Airline Pilots' Association says that is far too often - with lasers causing distraction at best and temporary blindness at worst.
Its vice-president, Glen Kenny, says passing legislation to regulate sales of lasers should be a priority.
However, there appears to have been little progress toward change, despite a top-level working group being set up under the previous government.
In June last year, the Health Ministry said it was working with police, Customs, the Civil Aviation Authority and Consumer Affairs to look at regulatory action.
However, on Tuesday the ministry could not say if it had made progress.
Police are trying to track down the person who shone the beam on Monday night and want to hear from anyone who may have witnessed the incident, believed to have come from somewhere in Manukau in south Auckland.
Dangerous practice - CAA
The Civil Aviation Authority says people using hand-held high-powered lasers to target planes may not realise how dangerous the practice is.
Spokesperson Bill Sommer says people often point the lasers at planes when they are about to land and pilots need to concentrate the most.
Mr Sommer says it is difficult to catch those responsible because the authorities usually get only a rough idea of where the beam is coming from.
