The Ministry of Civil Aviation has confirmed that several major airports in India have reported incidents of GPS spoofing and interference with aircraft navigation systems. The issue was disclosed in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, where Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu detailed the extent of the problem.
The minister said these incidents were reported at airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Amritsar, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai. He confirmed that “some flights reported GPS spoofing in the vicinity of IGIA, New Delhi while using GPS based landing procedures, while approaching on RWY 10.” He added that contingency procedures were activated for affected aircraft and there was no impact on overall flight movements because other runway ends using conventional navigation systems remained operational.
GPS or GNSS spoofing involves sending false navigation signals to interfere with an aircraft’s positioning system. The minister said the Wireless Monitoring Organisation under the Department of Telecommunications has been directed to identify the source of the spoofing. He added, “Airports Authority of India has also requested Wireless Monitoring Organisation to possibly identify the source of interference or spoofing.”
The minister said a high level meeting instructed the organisation to mobilise additional resources to trace the origin of the interference based on data shared by aviation authorities. Since the Directorate General of Civil Aviation mandated reporting of GPS interference in November 2023, regular reports have been received from multiple airports.
Last month, the aviation regulator instructed airlines, pilots and air traffic controllers to report spoofing cases within ten minutes of detection, following incidents at the Delhi airport.
Naidu said the country continues to maintain a Minimum Operating Network of ground based navigation and surveillance systems as per global practices. This network serves as a backup in case satellite based navigation systems face disruptions. He said India is working with global forums to stay updated on emerging technologies and best practices.
Responding to questions on cybersecurity, the minister said the aviation sector faces global threats such as ransomware and malware. He noted that the Airports Authority of India is strengthening cybersecurity through advanced protection systems in line with national guidelines. He added that cybersecurity upgrades are an ongoing process as threats evolve.
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