Russian GPS Jamming and Spoofing Disrupts UK Commercial Flights

Between 28 May 2022 and 28 May 2023, SkAI Data Services recorded over 1,500 British Airways, 57 Jet2 and 46 easyJet flights affected by suspected Russian GPS spoofing or jamming. Ryanair flights are also believed to have been impacted, though the airline has not released figures. Most incidents clustered near the Russian border in eastern Europe. One British Airways flight from New Delhi to Heathrow was spoofed over the Black Sea for about 900 km.

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Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, GPS interference has surged, described by analysts as “grey-zone warfare”. Ground-based transmitters either broadcast false signals (spoofing) or overwhelm receivers (jamming), potentially obscuring an aircraft’s true location and disabling linked safety alerts.

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GPS feeds power real-time flight-path monitoring, collision-avoidance alerts and air-traffic coordination. Interference can hide coordinates, disable early-warning systems and raise pilot workload as crews revert to conventional navigation. Redundant positioning remains, but the rising incident rate strains margins and could cut airspace capacity.

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The British Airline Pilots’ Association said pilots are “highly trained, experienced professionals” and that extra GPS-denied training is now standard. SkAI’s co-founder noted a “remarkable increase” in interference, linking it mainly to defensive measures against unmanned systems, with civilian aviation as collateral. A UK government spokesperson reaffirmed aviation safety, citing backup navigation and a £392 million investment, including a £13 million GPS-interference monitoring programme.

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Safety experts warn that dependence on a single navigation technology heightens vulnerability. Increased pilot workload and potential system errors may erode safety margins, especially in congested airspace. The absence of detailed data on Ryanair’s exposure raises transparency concerns.

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Incident counts are precise for British Airways, Jet2 and easyJet, but Ryanair’s involvement remains “believed” rather than quantified. Independent verification of the new monitoring programme’s effectiveness is not yet available.

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• “Raphael Monstein, co-founder of aviation intelligence firm SkAI Data Services, said there had been a “remarkable increase” in GPS interference over conflict zones across the globe.” — Raphael Monstein, Co-founder, SkAI Data Services

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• “The interference is widely assumed to be a defence against drones and GPS-guided missiles, and civilian users such as aviation and shipping are just casualties,” — Raphael Monstein

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• “ A Government spokesperson said: “UK aviation is amongst the safest in the world – our pilots are trained to handle GPS interference, and all commercial aircraft have backup navigation systems, so passengers can be confident their flight is safe.” — Government spokesperson (UK)

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• “We take hostile attempts to disrupt aviation seriously and are delivering £392 million to boost resilience of critical infrastructure, including £13 million for a GPS interference monitoring programme.” — Government spokesperson (UK)

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The £13 million monitoring programme will track signal anomalies across European airspace, while airlines expand simulator training for GPS-denied scenarios. Ongoing cooperation among the Civil Aviation Authority, industry partners and international regulators aims to develop standardized response protocols as interference incidents continue to rise.

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