After learning that 173 planes landing at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport last year were affected by laser attacks, comes news of a similar incident on a flight yesterday from London to New York City.

A Virgin Atlantic flight returned to London’s Heathrow Airport after a laser was beamed into the cockpit.

The airline says that the flight doubled back after the co-pilot reported feeling unwell. The pilots decided to return to Heathrow rather than making the trans-Atlantic crossing. Police say they were contacted last evening after reports about the laser being beamed into the cockpit. They didn’t immediately provide any more details. No arrests have been made.

A Toronto Star report reveals an analysis of flight occurrence data which shows there was a sharp increase in the number of laser attacks on planes landing at Toronto’s Pearson Airport from 2014 (114) to 2015 (173).

Peel Police Acting Sgt. Jeffrey Sharp admits “it’s a growing problem, one particularly hard for police to tackle.”

Aviation expert and author Todd Curtis will have more to say about the growing number of laser strikes on airplanes in Canada and around the world on Zoomer Radio’s Goldhawk Fights Back, after today’s 11am news.