Russian GPS jamming: which airlines and routes are affected?

Thousands of British flights have been targeted by suspected Russian GPS jamming near the Baltic region. Ryanair and Wizz Air logged the thousands of problems with their sat-navs, while a very small number of British Airways, Jet2, easyJet and Tui flights have also been affected. While GPS jamming can pose a danger to air travel, especially during take off and landing, pilots are trained to use alternative instruments if GPS navigation isn’t available to them. Here’s what you need to know.

All modern planes are built with equipment that send and receive constant signals from global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) such as the US’s Global Positioning System (GPS) and Europe’s Galileo. This information shows the precise location of the aircraft and helps the pilot to navigate during the course of a flight.

GPS jamming is when someone deliberately tries to overload an aircraft’s signal equipment with sustained interference in a way that means it can no longer send or receive information from GNSS. This means the plane’s location system will stop working, and neither the pilot nor flight trackers — which might be used by an aircraft nearby or air traffic controllers — will know where the plane is, increasing the likelihood of accidents.

GPS jamming is different from GPS spoofing, where someone uses signals to trick the plane’s equipment into thinking it’s somewhere else.

Using public flight logs, researchers from GPSJAM.org and The Sun found that 46,000 aircraft reported sat-nav problems while in the Baltic region between August 2023 and March 2024.

It’s worth noting that the data only shows GPS interference, which could also come from factors such as solar flares and even tall buildings as opposed to GPS jamming.

However, GPSJAM.org said: “Areas where a significant percentage of aircraft report low navigation accuracy seem to correlate well with areas of known and suspected jamming.”

In total, 2,309 Ryanair and 1,368 Wizz Air flights were affected according to their research. Also affected were 82 flights operated by British Airways, seven by Jet2, four by easyJet and seven by Tui. The Times has contacted the affected airlines for comment; Tui has declined to comment.

More generally, GPS jamming is a known issue that’s increasing in frequency while the Baltic Sea is a target hotspot. In a report released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in September 2023, the industry body also cited the Black Sea, southeastern Mediterranean area and the Middle East, and the Arctic region as areas frequently impacted by GPS jamming.

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Travellers heading to eastern Europe will obviously be concerned about the implications of GPS jamming.

However, it’s worth noting that GPS jammers have a limited range, which means once the plane leaves their vicinity, GPS navigation should return to normal. The most problematic period is during taxi, take-off and landing, when pilots and air traffic controllers need to know precisely where the aircraft is. Even then pilots are trained to overcome the issue.

Amanda Shaw, a pilot, said: “While GPS jamming is a known issue, it does not directly impact the safety of flights as commercial airlines have multiple backup systems in place to identify aircraft location and ensure accurate navigation.

“When jamming occurs, flight crews are trained to handle such situations calmly and effectively. So, travellers should not be concerned as the aviation industry has robust protocols to mitigate any risks posed by GPS interference.”

IATA has also recommended that pilots plan their routes around known GPS jamming hotspots.

The UK Foreign Office has not updated its travel advice for any of the Baltic states following the report on GPS jamming, and it does not look likely to do so.

In March 2024, a jet carrying defence secretary Grant Shapps was affected by GPS interference while flying near the Russian territory of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea. The interference lasted for around 30 minutes, and the pilot was forced to rely on alternative methods of navigation. The safety of the aircraft was not affected.

A defence source said at the time: “While the RAF are well prepared to deal with this, it still puts an unnecessary risk on civilian aircraft and could potentially endanger people’s lives. There is no excuse for this and it’s wildly irresponsible on Russia’s part.”