Government Confirms Cyberattack Hit 7 Major Indian Airports—GPS Spoofing Exposed
Seven major Indian airports targeted by GPS spoofing cyberattacks, aviation systems unaffected.
The Indian government confirmed on Monday that seven major airports faced cyberattacks involving GPS spoofing, disrupting navigation signals for approaching flights. Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport reported pilots receiving false positional data, terrain warnings, and altitude readings due to counterfeit satellite signals overriding legitimate GPS transmissions. Other affected airports include Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, highlighting vulnerabilities in civil aviation infrastructure.
Despite the interference, no flights were disrupted thanks to India's Minimum Operating Network (MON)—a robust ground-based navigation and surveillance redundancy system aligned with global standards. This backup ensured safe landings using alternative aids like Instrument Landing Systems (ILS), preventing the chaos seen in recent Delhi incidents where over 800 flights were impacted by similar spoofing over seven days in early November. Aviation authorities swiftly activated manual protocols.
The attacks coincide with heightened global GPS spoofing threats, with India recording 465 incidents since November 2023—a 62% surge. GPS spoofing transmits fake signals via inexpensive tools, misleading receivers up to 2,500 km off course, posing risks to aviation, telecom, and navigation. The National Security Advisor’s office, involving CERT-In and NCSC, launched probes into potential state-sponsored or electronic warfare origins near sensitive sites.
Also Read: Delhi Skies Hacked! GPS Spoofing Forces Emergency Pilot Training Now
This development follows a separate global Airbus A320 software issue that grounded 388 Indian flights on Saturday, resolved by Sunday after upgrades at bases including Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata. The European Aviation Safety Authority issued an emergency directive for Elevator Aileron Computer fixes. Combined threats underscore urgent needs for multi-layered defenses.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu inspected facilities, ordering root-cause analyses and enhanced redundancies. As investigations continue, experts warn of escalating cyber warfare risks to India's skies, prompting calls for real-time anomaly detection and reduced GPS reliance.
Also Read: Indian Airlines Rapidly Fix Critical Software Flaw in Hundreds of Airbus A320 Jets
