Which Texas city had the most reported laser attacks this year?

Editor’s Note: The above video shows KXAN News’ top morning headlines from Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — It's illegal to point lasers at aircraft, yet nearly 700 incidents were reported in Texas this year.

New data from the Federal Aviation Administration shows the number of laser attacks in Texas is "consistently high," the agency said. Pointing lasers at aircraft is a danger to both people aboard the plane and people on the ground.

Between Jan. 1 and July 31, 694 laser strikes were reported across Texas, according to the FAA.

Houston had the most attacks with 256 reported laser strikes, followed by 255 attacks in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro.

San Antonio, Corpus Christi and El Paso also had attack reports with 57, 29 and 26 laser strikes, respectively.

Nationwide, the number of laser incidents has steadily grown since 2016, including nearly 7,000 between January and July this year.

Laser attacks violate federal law, the FAA said. Civil penalties can total up to $11,000 per violation. Repeat offenders have faced up to $30,800 in civil penalties after multiple incidents, according to the FAA.