Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu has confirmed that the government is taking "new protective measures" to address the increasing concerns of GPS spoofing incidents at several airports across India. In response to a query raised in Parliament on Monday, December 1, 2025, regarding recent GPS spoofing incidents at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi, Naidu acknowledged that some flights experienced GPS spoofing while approaching runway 10.
GPS spoofing involves manipulating a GPS receiver to broadcast false GPS signals, misleading the receiver about its actual location. This form of cyberattack undermines the reliability of GPS data, which is critical for navigation and time synchronization. Last month, over 800 flights were delayed due to a technical glitch affecting Air Traffic Control (ATC) systems, with airlines flying over Delhi experiencing severe GPS spoofing incidents, resulting in inaccurate aircraft locations and misleading terrain warnings.
Naidu stated that similar incidents of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) interference have been reported at other major airports, including Kolkata, Amritsar, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai. He assured the Parliament that established protocols were followed to manage the situation, and the contingency procedures were used for GPS spoofed flights approaching runway 10. He also added that the availability of conventional navigation systems on other approach paths ensured that flight operations remained unaffected.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has already taken steps to mitigate GPS spoofing risks, including the issuance of Advisory Circular ANSS AC 01 (2023) on November 24, 2023, to address GNSS interference in Indian airspace. Additionally, a new Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) was issued on November 10, 2025, for real-time reporting of GPS spoofing events around IGI Airport.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has sought assistance from the Wireless Monitoring Organisation (WMO) to identify the source of the interference. The WMO has been directed to mobilize additional resources to trace the spoofing origin using preliminary location data provided by DGCA and AAI.
Naidu emphasized that India is actively participating in global platforms to stay updated with the latest methodologies and technologies for timely implementation. He also addressed the global cybersecurity threats to the aviation sector, stating that AAI is implementing advanced cybersecurity solutions for IT Networks and Infrastructure in accordance with the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) and Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) guidelines. He stated that cybersecurity is ensured through continuous upgrades and that new protective measures are continuously being taken as the nature and type of threat changes.
While the exact cause of the GPS spoofing incidents is still under investigation, some reports suggest a possible link to military exercises. It has been noted that GPS spoofing is commonly used along Indian borders to counter drone activities.
