https://phys.org/news/2018-10-clouds.html

 

So what happens if this beam hits a plane?

 

Not to mention birds.

 

I'll bet you could increase plane population and bird population by 10 fold(even a hundred fold).................And object interference would still be a low probability. And very short lived.

Edit: A slow moving swarm of locust or mayflies might cause a temporary problem.

 

And object interference would still be a low probability. And very short lived.

Any probability of hitting an airplane is too high.
And I don't think burning a hole in an airplane at altitude is desirable.

 

A plane might block or reflect a laser......what makes you think a communication laser would burn a hole in metal?

They don't mention any power levels. If the laser has to be that powerful......it would be a weapon. And would not be considered as/for a communication link.

 

what makes you think a communication laser would burn a hole in metal?

I'm not talking about the communication laser.
That's a separate laser as stated in the article.
I talking about the one that can burn a hole through a thick cloud.