Delhi airport under GPS spoofing threat? DGCA issues urgent 10-minute rule

New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a directive requiring real-time reporting of GPS spoofing and interference incidents within 10 minutes of detection. The move follows a series of spoofing occurrences around Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), the country’s busiest aviation hub, which handles more than 1,500 flight movements daily.

According to the DGCA’s circular issued on 10 November, pilots, air traffic controllers (ATCs), and technical teams must immediately report any abnormal GPS or GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) behaviour, including position anomalies, loss of signal integrity, or spoofed data.

The initial report must include details such as the date and time of the incident, aircraft type and registration, airline name, flight route, and affected coordinates. Additionally, the report must specify whether the interference involved jamming, spoofing, signal loss, or integrity errors, and identify the equipment impacted.

The DGCA also encouraged submission of supporting data, such as system logs, screenshots, or Flight Management System (FMS) images, to aid technical investigation.

All aircraft operators, flight crew, and Airports Authority of India (AAI) units, including ATC and Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) divisions, have been directed to comply with the circular.

The regulator emphasised that real-time detection and reporting are essential to ensure flight safety and operational integrity amid increasing cases of GPS manipulation near Delhi airport.

Between November 2023 and February 2025, India recorded 465 GPS interference and spoofing incidents, primarily in the Amritsar and Jammu border regions. Similar reports have emerged globally, especially over conflict zones.

Both the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) are currently reviewing global protocols to counter GPS spoofing and jamming threats.

The DGCA is currently investigating GPS spoofing incidents at Delhi airport to assess their nature and potential impact on navigation systems and flight safety.
(With PTI inputs)