Govt confirms cyber attack on Indian airports involving GPS spoofing

Govt confirms GPS spoofing cyber attacks at 7 Indian airports, including Delhi & Bengaluru; flights safe, security on high alert

The central government has officially confirmed that seven major airports across India were targeted by cyber attacks involving GPS spoofing, raising concerns about vulnerabilities in the country’s aviation infrastructure.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu informed Parliament that flights approaching Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi reported GPS spoofing while using satellite-based landing procedures at Runway 10. Similar incidents were noted at other key airports, including Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru.

GPS spoofing occurs when false signals are transmitted to mislead navigation systems, causing aircraft to misinterpret their actual position and altitude. While the attacks were serious in nature, the government stressed that no flights were cancelled or disrupted. Air traffic controllers implemented contingency measures and existing security protocols ensured safe and uninterrupted operations.

Authorities have placed the affected airports on high cyber alert, given their importance as India’s busiest domestic and international gateways. The incident highlights growing risks to digital infrastructure in aviation, where reliance on advanced navigation systems is increasing.

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This confirmation comes shortly after a separate system failure at Delhi Airport in November, which initially raised suspicions of a cyber breach but was later traced to a technical glitch in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS).

The Ministry of Civil Aviation, along with security agencies, is closely monitoring the situation and working on enhanced countermeasures to safeguard air traffic systems. Officials emphasised that protecting digital infrastructure is now as critical as physical security in ensuring smooth aviation operations.

The cyber attack also coincided with global disruptions linked to Airbus A320 aircraft, which required urgent software upgrades. In India alone, 388 flights were impacted on Saturday, though airlines completed the fixes by Sunday, allowing operations to resume.

The twin challenges of cyber threats and technical failures underscore the need for robust digital resilience in India’s aviation sector, as airports continue to evolve into complex hubs of technology and connectivity.

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