The growing threat of GPS spoofing in aviation

GPS spoofing incidents started affecting commercial airplanes about a year ago and are now impacting over 1,100 flights daily, up from just a few dozen in February, according to SkAI Data Services and Zurich University of Applied Sciences analyses.

What is GPS spoofing?
It is a type of electronic interference in which fake signals mimic legitimate GPS data. It was originally used as a military warfare tactic to confuse and dismiss drones and missiles.

These fake signals affect civilian aviation and primarily originate from conflict zones near Ukraine, the Middle East, and other areas.

How does it affect flights?
When GPS signals are spoofed, cockpit systems can display incorrect data, creating navigation errors and false alerts, such as “pull up” warnings at cruising altitudes. Pilots report that misleading navigation data can create confusion, especially during emergencies.

In one case, a flight traveling from Asia to the US had its GPS location misreported as being in the Atlantic Ocean, despite safely landing at its intended destination. 

Notably, GPS interference disrupted operations at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in October 2022, causing planes to stray off course.

Industry races to find solutions
Though no crashes have been directly linked to GPS spoofing, experts warn that such interference, combined with an emergency, could pose serious risks.

Airlines, manufacturers and regulators are developing solutions to harden aircraft against spoofing. However, those fixes may not be ready until next year.

In the meantime, pilots are receiving new training to handle these growing threats.