Beyond the Tarmac |
Recently, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and other global bodies have expressed “grave concern” over increasing incidents of interference with aviation, maritime and telecommunications services.
Multiple airlines reported GPS jamming and spoofing near conflict zones. Many aircraft have experienced position discrepancies, sudden autopilot disengagements, and deviations from flight paths.
These cases of harmful interference are in the form of jamming and spoofing that disrupt Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) operating in the frequency bands allocated to the Radio Navigation Satellite Service (RNSS).
“Radio Navigation Satellite Service interference can impact aircraft operations far beyond the immediate affected area, creating potential safety risks across multiple flight regions,” remarked ICAO Secretary-General Juan Carlos Salazar.
“ICAO is fully committed to working closely with Member States to implement these protective measures through existing aviation safety frameworks and standards.”
In a joint statement the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and International Maritime Organisation (IMO) urged Member States to urgently enhance their protection of the critical radio-frequency band.
The joint statement identifies five key actions required from Member States:
1. Protection of RNSS from harmful interference affecting civilian and humanitarian operations
2. Strengthening resilience of RNSS-dependent navigation, positioning, and timing systems
3. Maintaining conventional navigation infrastructure for contingency support
4. Enhancing collaboration between regulatory, aviation, maritime, defence, and enforcement authorities
5. Implementing comprehensive interference reporting mechanisms
This initiative builds on ICAO Assembly Resolution A41-8/C, which urges States to ensure close collaboration between aviation authorities, military authorities, service providers, and spectrum enforcement authorities to protect Communication and Navigation Systems.
The Resolution specifically calls on Member States to refrain from any form of jamming or spoofing affecting civil aviation and to co-ordinate with air navigation service providers when military or security operations might affect civil aviation operations.
Industry analysts say without reliable RNSS, flight management systems may default to older, less efficient navigation methods, leading to longer routes and increased fuel consumption.
In such situations, pilots will struggle to maintain precise flight paths, particularly in areas with poor visibility. Another threat is that pilots and air traffic controllers will lose critical situational awareness, increasing the risk of mid-air collisions or near misses.
During low-visibility conditions, RNSS provides essential guidance for approach and landing. Obviously, interference compromise these operations, necessitating go-arounds or diversions.
While alternative systems like Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) exist as a backup, they can possibly drift over time without RNSS calibration, analysts point out.
Aircraft may need to delay departures, reroute, or even cancel flights when RNSS interference is detected.
Inefficient routing caused by RNSS loss results in longer flight times and higher fuel costs, experts point out. Affected airlines will face additional expenses for investigating signal interference and ensuring aircraft systems are unaffected.
RNSS underpins technologies like ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast).
Interference generally prevent accurate aircraft tracking by air traffic controllers, forcing them to manually manage aircraft separation and reroute flights, adding stress and reducing system efficiency.
Industry experts say some actors deliberately jam satellite signals for malicious purposes. Ground-based transmitters, faulty electronic equipment, or even solar flares can cause disruption. Cyberattacks that send false satellite signals have the potential to mislead aircraft systems.
Clearly, RNSS interference poses severe challenges for airlines, from safety risks to financial losses. Aviation regulators and airlines often deploy mitigation measures such as resilient navigation systems, interference monitoring, and pilot training for RNSS outages. Strengthening cybersecurity and using multi-constellation receivers also help reduce the risks.
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