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India’s Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu informed the Rajya Sabha that some flights reported Positioning System- GPS spoofing in the vincinity of Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi while using GPS-based landing procedures. In a written reply to a question on GPS spoofing, Mr Naidu told the House that contingency procedures were used for GPS spoofed flights approaching to Runway 10.
He added that operations of flights on other runway ends remained unaffected due to the availability of conventional navigational aids.
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The Union Minister said that in addition, Directorate General of Civil Aviation has also issued Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) last month for Real-Time Reporting of GPS Spoofing and Global Navigation Satellite System Interference events around IGI Airport.
The Minister also informed that after mandated by DGCA to report instances of GPS Jamming or Spoofing since November 2023, regular reports are being received from other major airports in the country. He added that GNSS Interference Reports are being received from Kolkata, Amritsar, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai airports.
Civil Aviation Minister added that minimum Operating Network consisting of Conventional Navigation and Surveillance Infrastructure are retained in accordance with global best practices. He said, India is participating in global platforms to keep itself abreast of the latest methodology and technology for timely implementation of the same. He also said that to enhance cyber security against global threats, Airport Authority of India is implementing advanced cyber security solutions for IT Networks and Infrastructure.
What Is GPS Spoofing?
GPS spoofing sends fake GPS signals to trick navigation systems. In aircraft, it can mislead them about their actual location and altitude temporarily. While pilots and air traffic controllers are trained to manage such situations, repeated interference requires immediate reporting and stronger safeguards.
India is working with global aviation organizations to keep abreast of aviation cybersecurity advancements. At the same time, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is implementing advanced cybersecurity measures to enhance its IT infrastructure’s security.
GPS spoofing attempts at major airports have prompted heightened security measures, even though flight schedules remain unaffected. Continuous monitoring is crucial at these busy airports, which serve millions of passengers annually.
Reports of GPS spoofing follow a system failure at Delhi Airport in November that caused significant delays. That incident was attributed to a technical issue with the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) and was not due to cyber activity.
The aviation sector faced a challenge when Airbus A320 aircraft needed a quick software update. This caused about 388 flight delays on Saturday. By Sunday, all Indian airlines had completed the updates, resuming normal operations.
