Delhi airport flights hit by GPS spoofing, Minister tells Parliament

Union Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu confirmed in Parliament that flights at Delhi's IGI Airport faced GPS spoofing, prompting a probe by DGCA and AAI. Other airports including Kolkata and Mumbai have also reported similar incidents.

Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, on Monday confirmed that several flights approaching Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi recently reported incidents of GPS spoofing.

The revelation came in response to a starred question asked by Rajya Sabha member S Niranjan Reddy in the Parliament Winter Session that began today. Reddy asked the Civil Aviation Minister in Rajya Sabha to answer "whether Government is aware of recent incidents of GPS spoofing reported at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), New Delhi and the steps taken by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Airports Authority of India (AAI) to investigate and mitigate such incidents in future."

Details of the Spoofing Incidents

Civil Aviation Minister, Naidu, in response, stated that the incidents occurred while aircraft were using GPS-based landing procedures on Runway 10 at IGI Airport. Affected flights switched to contingency procedures after receiving spoofed navigation signals. He added that operations on other runway ends remained unaffected due to the availability of conventional ground-based navigational aids.

Government Launches Investigation and Mitigation Efforts

The DGCA has taken multiple steps to probe and mitigate GPS spoofing risks. Key actions include: Advisory Circular ANSS AC 01 (2023) to address GNSS interference in Indian airspace; New Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) issued on November 10, 2025, for real-time reporting of GPS spoofing events around IGI Airport.

Multi-Agency Probe to Trace Source

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has sought assistance from the Wireless Monitoring Organisation (WMO) to identify the source of the interference. Following a high-level meeting, WMO was directed to mobilise additional resources to trace the spoofing origin using preliminary location data provided by DGCA and AAI.

Interference Reported Across Major Indian Airports

"After being mandated by DGCA to report instances of GPS Jamming/Spoofing since November 2023, regular reports are being received from other major airports in the country," Naidu said. "Kolkata, Amritsar, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai airports have all recorded GNSS interference incidents," Naidu added.

National and Global Strategy to Ensure Navigational Safety

To strengthen navigational integrity, India continues to maintain a Minimum Operating Network (MON) of conventional ground-based navigational infrastructure, in line with global aviation practices.

Naidu added, "India is participating in global platforms to keep itself abreast of the latest methodology & technology for timely implementation of the same."

Countering Heightened Cybersecurity Risks

On the cybersecurity front, the government acknowledged heightened global threats such as ransomware and malware targeting aviation systems. To counter these risks, AAI is deploying advanced cybersecurity solutions for IT networks and critical infrastructure, adhering to guidelines issued by the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In).

Naidu further stressed that cybersecurity in aviation requires continuous upgrading of systems and protocols, as threats evolve rapidly. (ANI)

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