What Is GPS Spoofing? Know All About It As Government Confirms Indian Airports Were Hit by Cyber Attack
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, speaking in the Rajya Sabha, said that some aircraft approaching Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on Runway 10 had reported receiving spoofed navigation data, prompting the activation of contingency procedures. Conventional ground-based systems ensured that overall operations continued normally.
Mumbai, December 02: The Union government on Monday, December 01, confirmed multiple instances of GPS spoofing signals detected around several major airports last month, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, though it stressed that flight operations remained unaffected.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, speaking in the Rajya Sabha, said that some aircraft approaching Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on Runway 10 had reported receiving spoofed navigation data, prompting the activation of contingency procedures. Conventional ground-based systems ensured that overall operations continued normally. Delhi Airport Flight Delay: Delhi IGI Airport Hit by Massive ATC Technical Glitch; Over 400 Flights Delayed.
Ram Mohan Naidu Confirms GPS Spoofing Incidents at IGI Airport
Naidu said similar interference reports have been coming in from airports in Kolkata, Amritsar, Hyderabad, and Chennai, especially after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) made it mandatory in November 2023 to report any suspected GPS jamming or spoofing within 10 minutes. The Wireless Monitoring Organisation (WMO) has been tasked with tracing the source of the signals, while the government has begun deploying advanced cybersecurity tools across aviation networks.
What Is GPS Spoofing?
GPS or GNSS spoofing involves transmitting counterfeit satellite signals to mislead navigation systems into displaying incorrect position, speed, or time. Unlike jamming, which simply overwhelms satellite frequencies and blocks GPS reception, spoofing feeds aircraft false but seemingly credible data. Successful attempts can cause serious route or altitude errors, though in the incidents reported in India, backup navigation aids prevented any operational impact. IndiGo Flight From Kuwait to Hyderabad Makes Emergency Landing at Mumbai Airport After Bomb Threat.
The confirmation of spoofing incidents comes weeks after an unrelated technical glitch in Delhi’s air traffic control systems disrupted over 400 flights. That issue was traced to a fault in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), which forced controllers to process flight plans manually. The Airports Authority of India has since been ordered to conduct a comprehensive audit to avoid any recurrence.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 02, 2025 10:56 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).