September 2024: As GPS jamming and spoofing continue, pilots, airlines, and officials voice their concerns. The WSJ reports that “[t]he number of flights affected daily has surged from a few dozen in February to more than 1,100 in August,” based on data from SkAI Data Services and Zurich University of Applied Sciences. While officials say spoofing hasn’t posed major safety risks, since pilots are trained to handle situations without GPS by relying on backup systems, it still takes pilots’ attention away in case of other concurrent emergencies.
The RNL’s Dr. Humphreys says “[t]hese pilots are doing double duty in the cockpit,” in response to reports from pilots. He also says “[t]his is embarrassing for the airline industry, for the carriers and for the FAA,” in response to the slow movements from industry and regulators to “harden planes against spoofing.”
While the FAA said it “found no proof of intentional interference” as reported by the WSJ, there have been instances in the US of GPS interference causing issues, like a case in October 2022 at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Outside the US, Europe is reporting disruptions due to GPS spoofing but say no flights have been endangered. For more on the story, visit the WSJ here, or the transcript here.
