Skip to main content
See every side of every news story
Published loading...Updated

How electronic warfare is sowing confusion in cockpits

Pilots and airlines report 900 daily incidents as spoofed signals trigger false warnings, map shifts and longer, less fuel-efficient routes.

  • Around 900 commercial flights face GPS interference daily, according to Benoit Figuet, founder of SkAI Data Services, which tracks such incidents on its GPSWise platform since 2024.
  • Global Navigation Satellite Systems signals weaken significantly traveling over 20,000 kilometers to Earth from satellites, making them vulnerable to high-intensity radio signals militaries broadcast in conflict zones to target drones and missiles.
  • Pilots report 'harrowing' phantom commands and map shifts where cockpit displays show aircraft miles from actual position. Captain Ron Hay of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations warned pilots may lose trust in safety systems as warnings become normalized.
  • Thirteen European Union members shared an open letter calling for action, resulting in the European Aviation Action Plan published in March, which proposes standardizing communication phraseology and coordinating with military agencies on jamming sources.
  • The European Space Agency's Celeste mission transmitted its first navigation signal on April 17 and aims to launch 11 satellites to test improved positioning signals, though experts note new equipment and software require extensive testing before airline implementation.
Insights by Ground AI

8 Articles

KIFIKIFI
Reposted by
Local 3 NewsLocal 3 News
Center

By Katie Hunt, CNN “Terreno forward. Ascend!” It is an order that is usually only heard in a disaster film or flight simulator. But pilots and aviation experts say that these alerts are generating more and more alarm in the booths, as false signals from global positioning satellites affect commercial flights. GPS signal interference has become endemic in conflict zones, including the region now affected by the U.S. war and Israel with Iran, impa…

·Idaho Falls, United States
Read Full Article
Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/yearSubscribe

Bias Distribution

  • 87% of the sources are Center
87% Center

Factuality Info Icon

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

Ownership

Info Icon

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

CNN broke the news in Atlanta, United States on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
Too Big Arrow Icon
Sources are mostly out of (0)

Similar News Topics

News
Feed Dots Icon
For You
Search Icon
Search
Blindspot LogoBlindspotLocal