Aviation regulator DGCA compiling data on GPS spoofing instances

New Delhi, Nov 6 (PTI) Aviation regulator DGCA is collecting data on GPS interference and spoofing to have a better understanding of the situation amid the Delhi airport reporting such instances in the past few days, officials said on Thursday.

Generally, GPS (Global Positioning System)/ GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) spoofing and jamming refers to attempts to manipulate a user's navigation system by giving false signals.

Following a circular issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in 2023, instanced of GPS interference/spoofing have been reported since November 2023.

One of the officials said there have been several instances of airlines facing GPS spoofing at the Delhi airport in the past few days and on Wednesday there were at least eight such instances.

They were noticed in domestic as well as international flights, the official added.

Both the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have been looking at the issue of GPS spoofing and jamming, and looking at ways to deal with them.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is collecting data on spoofing instances, including those at the Delhi airport in the recent days. This time around, there have been more such instances and generally these instances were reported from border areas, another official said.

The official also said GPS spoofing is a cause for concern, especially in a congested airspace.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in the national capital is the country's busiest airport and with the reopening of the refurbished Terminal 2 (T2) last month, the number of daily flight movements have increased to more than 1,500.

Spoofing is a key concern as false signals could also result in a situation where aircraft comes closer to each other beyond the permitted separation.

Meanwhile, in India, as many as 465 GPS interference and spoofing incidents were reported in the border region, mostly in the Amritsar and Jammu areas, between November 2023 and February 2025.

Several airlines had reported that aircraft operating in and around Amritsar have experienced GPS/GNSS interference.

Airlines have been reporting GPS interference with their flights in different parts of the world, especially while flying near or over conflict zones.

In June this year, IATA said aircraft manufactures must continue to support aircraft operators by providing appropriate guidance and there must also be global coordination through ICAO on advancing future-proof navigation technologies to resist interference as well as develop standardised protocols for states to notify flight crews of interference events. PTI RAM SHW