Data on air navigation spoofing being collected: Sources
File Photo: A view of Flight at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on May 23, 2025
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SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has begun investigating suspected spoofing incidents over the national capital’s airspace, sources told businessline.
In technical parlance, such high-tech spoofing involves the manipulation of navigation signals. This deceives an aircraft’s onboard systems into miscalculating its actual position, altitude, or flight path.
This sophisticated act is carried out through the deliberate transmission of false or manipulated navigation signals — typically Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals such as GPS.
In the past week, flights operating to and from Delhi Airport have reported instances of such spoofing. As per sources, the spoofing incidents have originated within a range of 20 nautical miles of the Delhi Airport.
Following these incidents, the DGCA has begun collecting vital data points.
Accordingly, information such as the type of aircraft affected, the geographical zones where anomalies were detected, and the percentage of flight operations impacted is being compiled.
Besides, sources said that once all the information is gathered, it will be shared with security agencies to help determine the extent and possible source of the interference.
However, sources clarified that there is no cause for public concern, noting that the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and other security agencies are on alert and are closely monitoring the situation.
In addition, pilots flying in Delhi’s airspace have been instructed to maintain direct communication with Air Traffic Control (ATC) and to rely on supplementary navigation apparatus to verify positional data.
Furthermore, aviation authorities emphasised that all precautionary measures are in place to ensure flight safety and operational continuity.
Nonetheless, the Centre has launched a formal investigation into the incidents, with technical and security teams working jointly to assess the situation and prevent any recurrence.
Speaking to businessline, an aviator operating a Mumbai–Delhi flight for a leading airline confirmed interference with navigation systems.
“Pilots are aware of such incidents occurring over the NCR. Many have reported these incidents over the last several days,” an aviator with a leading domestic carrier told businessline.
A source involved in airport operations told businessline that the spoofing incidents occurred during take-off and landing sequences, thereby impacting airport operations.
“These spoofing incidents are similar to area-denial mechanisms used to deter drones from entering certain airspace,” sources told businessline.
“Such mechanisms feed incorrect coordinates or terrain readings to a drone’s guidance system. In the case of aircraft, however, under a radar controlled environment, the ATC (air traffic control) controllers provide directions to pilots to ensure a safe landing.”
Published on November 7, 2025
