Was Delhi Airport a Cyber Attack? 465 Spoofing Incidents in the Last 16 Months

New Delhi: Rare GPS spoofing incidents have been reported this week at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, the country's busiest airport. GPS spoofing, also known as a cyberattack, involves sending fake satellite signals to mislead aircraft navigation systems. This causes aircraft to misrepresent their actual position, disrupting numerous flights. Flight Delays, Passenger Troubles Delhi Airport has received numerous complaints over the past few days, including numerous flights going off course. On Tuesday, Delhi Airport had the second-highest number of flight disruptions in the world. At least seven flights had to be diverted to nearby airports like Jaipur and Lucknow. On Friday, more than 800 flights were delayed, officially attributed to a technical glitch by ATC. Real Cause: GPS Spoofing or Technical Glitch? Although Friday's delay was attributed to a problem with the ATC system, investigations suggest that GPS signal errors may also be a contributing factor. According to sources, on Tuesday, the Navigation Integrity Category value, which measures the accuracy of an aircraft's position, dropped from the normal level of 8 to 0. This is considered highly unusual. DGCA Launches Investigation The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken cognizance of these incidents and initiated an investigation. Pilots reported that the disturbance was most noticeable within a range of 60 nautical miles (approximately 110 km) from Delhi. ILS Discontinuation Adds to Problems The Instrument Landing System (ILS) on Delhi Airport's main runway is currently closed for upgrades. It is being converted to a Category-III system, which will allow landings from both directions even in dense winter fog. Due to the temporary shutdown of this system, aircraft now rely on satellite-based navigation, making them more vulnerable to spoofing. What is GPS spoofing? GPS spoofing is a cyber attack that sends fake signals to a device to display a false location. Just as your phone's location suddenly appears 4 km away, a similar situation can happen with aircraft. When this happens to aircraft, their navigation system can be misdirected, significantly increasing the risk of a crash. GPS spoofing common in border areas, now affecting Delhi Earlier, the Indian government informed the Lok Sabha that 465 GPS spoofing incidents were recorded in the India-Pakistan border area (Amritsar and Jammu) between November 2023 and February 2025. According to a report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), 4.3 lakh GPS jamming and spoofing incidents were recorded in 2024, a 62% increase compared to 2023. Not just India, other countries around the world are also affected. GPS spoofing has been prevalent in many countries around the world. In December 2024, an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people. This accident is believed to have been caused by a Russian defense system error due to GPS spoofing and jamming. In March 2025, an Indian Air Force plane carrying relief supplies to Myanmar also encountered GPS spoofing from a Chinese-backed system. Technical Problems Arising from the Border However, some reports claim that GPS jammers deployed along the India-Pakistan border, intended to prevent Pakistani military activities, sometimes affect aircraft flying within northern India.