Russia’s GPS and GNSS interference disrupts flights: airlines and authorities respond

Airlines report that since 2022, problems with GPS and other satellite systems have been a frequent occurrence due to Russian interference. Typical regions where GPS interference has been reported include the Baltic and Kaliningrad area, around the Black Sea, Caspian Sea, and eastern Mediterranean.

AIN spoke with representatives of airlines and regulatory authorities in the region that has been most frequently affected by GPS problems.

“During the past year, both the aviation industry and the transport industry as a whole have periodically encountered intentional GPS (GNSS — Global Navigation Satellite System) interference – GPS satellite signal distortion or jamming, signal shift, misleading signal transmission,” says a representative from airBaltic. 

As previously reported, nearly 123,000 flights operated by 365 airlines were disrupted in the first four months of 2025 due to Russian interference with GPS and other satellite systems.

The problems range from false location data to system errors that can accompany the aircraft to its final destination. Both jamming (signal interference) and spoofing (GNSS signal substitution) are recorded.

“airBaltic’s routes to select destinations have also been affected. In practice, on an Airbus A220-3300 aircraft, the route taken and the location shown on the small cabin screens visible to passengers, as well as possibly on Flightradar24, may in exceptional cases differ from the actual route. The reason is that the GPS signal continues to be used for route projection, instead of the IRS or other system used for aircraft navigation,” says a representative from airBaltic. 

How airlines are dealing with this

Airlines have begun to implement various measures to counter interference with navigation systems. For example, the Norwegian regional airline Widerøe has implemented two alternative procedures based on conventional ground-based navigation equipment.

Swedish Transport Agency shared that there have not been any measures directly linked to anti-jamming protection or other technical countermeasures regarding GNSS systems. However, Sweden has implemented several actions to address the issue of radio frequency interference. These include:

• Providing information about the interference to airlines and other stakeholders.

• Publishing NOTAMs (Notice to Air Missions) and EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) safety bulletins related to GNSS RFI (Radio Frequency Interference).

• Engaging in international coordination and collaboration with other countries and organizations.

• Increasing the robustness of ground-based and terrestrial navigation systems to serve as alternatives to satellite-based systems.

• Conducting oversight activities targeting airlines and other stakeholders.

In addition, airlines use alternative navigation methods that do not rely on GPS.

A representative of airBaltic notes that the airline has begun informing passengers about the differences in the specified route, which is displayed on passenger screens. In addition, the airline has created an appropriate risk prevention plan and action algorithm, guided by the aircraft manufacturer’s instructions.

Currently, this issue is increasingly global, so international organizations involved in aviation safety regulation have created documents, informing about the affected regions and recommendations to prevent risks, in particular:

• The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recently published a document Mitigating GNSS Vulnerabilities in Aviation, which identifies risk areas and measures for airlines and airports.

• European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) together with The International Air Transport Association (IATA) outline a comprehensive plan to mitigate GNSS interference risks.

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