GPS Spoofing Hits Indian Airports: Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru Under Scrutiny
GPS Spoofing Hits Indian Airports: Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru Under Scrutiny
Government confirms GPS spoofing reports near major airports; authorities say no flight ops were disrupted as investigations continue.
The government on Monday confirmed that several airports, including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, saw GPS spoofing signals last month, but said there was no impact on flight operations. GPS spoofing refers to feeding the planes false but convincing navigation data. Addressing the Rajya Sabha, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu detailed incidents of spoofed flights in the vicinity of IGIA, New Delhi, and said the Wireless Monitoring Organisation (WMO) had been tasked with tracing its source. Some flights reported GPS spoofing in the vicinity of IGIA while using GPS-based landing procedures, and contingency procedures were used for GPS spoofed flights approaching Runway 10.
In response to concerns after the Delhi episode last month, Naidu said reports of interference were also received from Kolkata, Amritsar, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai airports. He added that advanced cybersecurity solutions for IT networks and infrastructure were being implemented.
Delhi IGI faced disruption affecting more than 400 flights last month, though conventional navigational aids remained operational. Officials stressed ongoing monitoring and tracing by WMO and highlighted the need for robust backup procedures to safeguard GNSS-based navigation from spoofing threats.
Cover image source: Chennai, Bengaluru among airports where aircraft encountered GPS spoofing 🔗
