Cyber Threat Hits Indian Skies: GPS Spoofing Targets 7 Major Airports

In a concerning development for India’s aviation security, the government has confirmed that seven major airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Amritsar, and Chennai, were recently targeted by cyber attacks involving GPS spoofing.

Flights on approach to these airports reported receiving false GPS signals, particularly during critical landing procedures, triggering emergency protocols. The most notable incident occurred near Runway 10 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, the country’s busiest aviation hub.

Although no flight disruptions or safety incidents were reported, the breach has sounded alarms over the resilience of India's aviation infrastructure. Experts warn that GPS spoofing, a cyber technique that mimics satellite signals to deceive navigation systems, could pose serious risks if not contained swiftly.

Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu informed the Rajya Sabha that the Wireless Monitoring Organisation (WMO) has been instructed to locate the source of the interference. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)has mandated that all such incidents be reported within 10 minutes of detection.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has reinforced traditional navigation systems as a safeguard and is coordinating with global aviation bodies to adopt advanced countermeasures.

This latest cyber incident follows a series of technical disruptions across Indian airports, highlighting growing threats to digital aviation systems and the urgent need for robust cybersecurity frameworks.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation, with investigations ongoing into the source and intent behind the spoofing attacks.