DGCA issues advisory after reports of planes losing GPS signal over Middle East

India’s civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has issued a crucial advisory to all Indian airlines in response to increasing issues within the Middle East airspace. The primary concern revolves around the potential “blind” flight of civilian aircraft, attributed to the spoofing of their navigation systems in specific Middle East regions. This poses substantial safety risks, prompting the DGCA to alert airlines and provide guidelines on managing this emerging hazard.

“The aviation industry is grappling with uncertainties due to new threats and reports of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) jamming and spoofing,” stated the circular released by DGCA.

The advisory is a response to the increasing incidents of GNSS interference over Middle Eastern airspace. The DGCA is urging the formulation of contingency measures to address navigation system jamming and the establishment of a threat monitoring and analysis network.

Notably, multiple commercial flights near Iran deviated from their intended courses in late September due to navigation system failures. In one incident following a spoofing event, an aircraft nearly entered Iranian airspace without proper authorization.

OpsGroup, a collective of professional pilots, flight dispatchers, schedulers, and controllers, initially highlighted these incidents and explained the mechanics of spoofing. In this context, aircraft flying over specific parts of the Middle East receive deceptive GPS signals, tricking their on-board systems into believing they are miles off course. These signals are potent enough to compromise the functionality of the aircraft’s navigation system.

The primary areas of concern are identified in Northern Iraq and Azerbaijan, with numerous incidents reported near Erbil. As of September, there have been 12 separate incidents, with the most recent occurring near Ankara, Turkey, on November 20.

While the perpetrators behind these incidents have not been clearly identified, there is speculation that military electronic warfare systems deployed in regions of regional tension may be triggering these instances of jamming and spoofing.

The DGCA advisory is based on the recommendations of a dedicated team formed to address this emerging threat. These recommendations align with best practices, the latest advancements, and directives from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The advisory outlines comprehensive measures for operators, pilots, Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), and air traffic controllers. These measures include developing alternate procedures in collaboration with equipment manufacturers, conducting safety risk assessments, and establishing a real-time threat monitoring and analysis network. This joint effort with DGCA aims to proactively and reactively monitor threats, assess reports of GNSS interference, and provide valuable data-driven insights for swift threat response.

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