Months after India grappled with the aftermath of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, a fresh aviation safety concern has emerged over the skies of the national capital. Several airlines have reported intense GPS spoofing incidents affecting aircraft operating in and out of Delhi, likely by Pakistan, prompting aviation authorities to step in.
According to pilots and air traffic controllers quoted by The Hindu, aircraft within nearly a 60-nautical-mile radius of Delhi have experienced false positional and navigation data over the past week. In several cases, cockpit systems issued misleading alerts, including terrain warnings suggesting obstacles that were not actually present.
One commercial airline pilot reported encountering spoofed navigation signals on all six flights he operated last week. “During approach, the system warned of terrain ahead even though the path was clear,” reported The Hindu quoting a pilot. Similar disruptions were reported during takeoff, occasionally forcing crews to rely on manual navigation guidance from air traffic control. The disturbances have also contributed to flight delays during peak traffic periods at Delhi Airport.
While GPS interference is known to occur near India’s western border, particularly close to Pakistan, its appearance over the capital region is highly unusual, officials say. No NOTAM or military exercise advisory had been issued to explain the disruptions, adding to concerns.
Government data presented in Parliament earlier this year revealed 465 instances of GPS interference or spoofing along the border — mainly in the Amritsar and Jammu sectors — between November 2023 and February 2025, averaging roughly one incident per day.
What is GPS Spoofing?
GPS spoofing is a cyber tactic that transmits counterfeit satellite signals, deceiving aircraft navigation systems into displaying incorrect position or altitude. Both the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have previously warned that such interference poses a growing global aviation safety risk.
Can Spoofing Cause an Aircraft Accident?
Aviation experts note that modern aircraft are equipped with multiple redundant navigation systems, including Inertial Reference Systems, which can maintain safe operation for hours even if GPS data is compromised. This makes spoofing unlikely to cause a crash on its own.
However, specialists caution that spoofing can create high-workload situations, confusion in the cockpit, and incorrect navigation cues. In complex airspace or during critical flight phases like landing, these factors could increase the risk of an error or incident if not managed promptly.
Government Response
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated a technical review and is collecting flight data recordings and ATC logs. The Ministry of Civil Aviation is also assessing whether the interference originated from cross-border electronic activity, though officials emphasize that no conclusive attribution has been made so far.