GPS interference: AI Express Delhi-Jammu flight returns to IGIA

NEW DELHI: An Air India Express Delhi-Jammu flight (IX-2564) returned to Delhi Monday after “suspected GPS interference”. The incidence of GPS spoofing has been on the rise of the past 2-3 years and airlines face the same right from near the India-Pakistan border to upto and even beyond Turkey.

Flight tracking sites show IX 2564 took off from Delhi at 11.05 am and then flew back to Delhi from near the Pakistan border. It landed safely at IGIA just before 1.30 pm.

“Our Delhi–Jammu flight returned to Delhi as a precautionary measure, following a suspected GPS interference incident. Subsequently an alternative flight was organised to connect guests to Jammu. We regret the inconvenience caused. Instances of GPS signal interference have been reported by operators while flying over certain sensitive regions,” an Air India Express spokesperson said.

GPS interference can be either jamming or spoofing “global navigation satellite system” (GNSS) signals. According to aviation website Skybrary: “Spoofing involves broadcasting counterfeit satellite signals to deceive GNSS receivers, causing them to compute incorrect position, navigation, and timing data. These issues particularly affect the geographical areas surrounding conflict zones, (like) Black Sea and the Middle East. It is not currently possible to detect affected areas from a distance making pilot reports the main source of information.”