Virgin Atlantic jet turns back after laser attack on pilots

Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. aborted a flight to Israel after a laser beam was shone at the plane’s cockpit from the ground as it departed London Heathrow airport.

The Boeing Co. 787 wide-body jet bound for Tel Aviv turned around over Paris following the incident on Monday night, the U.K. carrier said in a statement. Flight VS453 landed back at Heathrow at about 10:45 p.m. Passengers were offered overnight accommodation before continuing their journeys on Tuesday.

“This was a precautionary step taken by the operating crew,” a Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman said. “We swiftly notified the police and remain in close contact with them and the Civil Aviation Authority.”

A New York-bound Virgin Atlantic jet carrying about 250 passengers returned to Heathrow in 2016 after crew told air traffic controllers there was a “medical issue” with one of the pilots following a laser-beam incident on takeoff.