The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has warned that targeting air ambulances with lasers could cause a “catastrophic incident” and result in offenders facing a five-year prison sentence.
On September 10, 2026, during UK Air Ambulance Week, the CAA, in tandem with the charity Air Ambulances UK, spoke about the dangers that critical care helicopters are facing from the ground.
According to the CAA, laser attacks occur every month and can cause temporary blindness and distraction to pilots, or even long-term eye damage.
Emergency air ambulances fly over 135 flights a day in the UK. During 2025, there were 94 cases of emergency helicopters being attacked. For the first half of 2026, the total is 35.
Glenn Bradley, Head of Flight Operations at the UK CAA, said these attacks need to stop.
