Airlines report ‘severe’ GPS spoofing over Delhi for 7 days, Pg16

Key Highlights:

• Airlines reported "severe" GPS spoofing incidents over Delhi for the past week, causing false navigation data.
• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is investigating the incidents, with meetings held between key officials.
• GPS spoofing occurred within a 60-nautical-mile radius of Delhi, requiring manual intervention from air traffic controllers.
• A pilot reported false terrain warnings during approach and takeoff, leading to flight delays at Delhi airport.
• The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) have warned about the growing threat of GPS disruptions to aviation safety.

Detailed Insights:

• GPS spoofing involves transmitting false GPS signals to mislead navigation systems, a type of cyberattack.
• While GPS spoofing is common near the India-Pakistan border, its occurrence over Delhi is unusual, raising concerns.
• In November 2023, the DGCA directed airlines to establish standard operating procedures and submit bi-monthly reports on spoofing incidents.
• Between 2021 and 2024, reported cases of GPS signal loss surged by 220%, according to IATA data, highlighting the increasing frequency of such incidents.
• Aircraft systems have redundancies like the Inertial Reference System that can operate for up to five hours if the primary system fails, mitigating the immediate safety risks of GPS spoofing.
• In December 2024, an Azerbaijan Airlines flight was struck by a Russian surface-to-air missile, killing 38, underscoring the potential dangers of compromised navigation systems.
• The Ministry told Parliament in March that as many as 465 GPS interference and spoofing incidents were reported in the border region between November 2023 and February 2025.

Key Concepts Involved:

• GPS Spoofing: A cyberattack that transmits false GPS signals to mislead navigation systems.
• DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation): The Indian governmental regulatory body for civil aviation.
• IATA (International Air Transport Association): A global trade association representing airlines.