Airline Industry to Meet to Discuss Safety Concerns Around Spike in GPS Spoofing

Global aviation industry leaders will meet in January to discuss safety concerns around increased GPS interference by cyberattackers steering planes off course, an International Air Transport Association executive said on Wednesday.

Global Positioning System (GPS) spoofing has spiked in recent months, using counterfeit signals to alter perceptions of time or location, posing a threat to planes, ships and the military.

A spoofed plane’s navigation system will show it as being in a different place – a security risk if a jet is guided to fly into a hostile country’s airspace. Spoofing is common around conflict zones and areas with sensitive military targets.

“Because it has spiked, we have urgency to find a resolution for this,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s head of operations, safety and security at a media event in Geneva.

He did not specify a date for the industry meeting, but said talks between governments, the military and planemakers have become more pressing.

Airline manufacturers have issued guidance in recent months as aviation advisory body OPSGROUP flagged a surge in spoofing targeting private and commercial jets around the Middle East, including Iraq, Iran and Israel, and the Black Sea region.