LOS ANGELES - A California man who aimed a handheld laser at two passenger jets arriving at John Wayne Airport south of Los Angeles has been jailed for two-and-a-half years, justice authorities said Tuesday.

Dana Welch, 38, was sentenced after being convicted at a trial in April where he was accused of shining a laser at two Boeing jets as they approached the airport in May last year.

The first plane, a United Airlines jet, was carrying more than 180 passengers and crew while the second, an Alaska Airlines aircraft, was carrying more than 80 people, a US Justice Department statement said.

A pilot of the United flight was struck in the eye by Welch's green laser beam and suffered "flash blindness."

One of the pilots of the Alaska Airlines plane was forced to duck under a glare shield after the beam was shone into the cockpit.

Welch was the first person in the United States to be convicted at trial of interfering with aircraft pilots by shooting lasers at their planes.