European aviation authorities have warned air carriers of a disruption of the GPS navigation system over much of Europe since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) says the signals, used by commercial aircraft, have been impacted from as far north as Finland and as far south as Iraq.
Disruptions to Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), which include GPS, are caused by the 'jamming' or 'spoofing' of satellite signals. In a bulletin released this week, they said: "In the current context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the issue of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) jamming and/or possible spoofing has intensified in geographical areas surrounding the conflict zone and other areas."
It's not possible to predict the extent of any disruptions on aircraft, the EASA said, but it could lead to a loss of waypoint navigation or prevent runway approach. But the agency said it is unlikely that they will need to suspend flight operations. EASA asked all air transit workers to report any GPS anomalies and warned that aircraft operators should be ready to use other navigation tools in case of satellite malfunctions.
