Key Takeaways
- Nearly 400 flights delayed at Delhi IGI Airport due to dual technical failures
- GPS spoofing suspected as primary cause, diverting flights and causing navigation errors
- ILS system upgrade on main runway compounded the disruption
- DGCA has launched investigation into the incidents
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport experienced major disruptions affecting nearly 400 flights after suspected GPS spoofing incidents coincided with a critical navigation system upgrade. The chaos, which occurred on November 6, saw flights diverted to Jaipur and Lucknow as airport authorities struggled with compromised navigation systems.
Technical Failures Compound Airport Chaos
The disruption began with a malfunction in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), which handles flight plan messages between air traffic control, airports, and airlines. The Airports Authority of India confirmed the technical glitch forced controllers to process flight data manually, significantly slowing operations.
Simultaneously, experts suspect the airport experienced its first major GPS spoofing incident, where fake satellite signals mislead aircraft about their actual positions – potentially causing navigation errors of up to 2,500 km.
ILS Upgrade Worsens Navigation Crisis
The situation was aggravated by the ongoing upgrade of the main runway’s Instrument Landing System (ILS) to Category III standards. This ground-based navigation system, crucial for landings during Delhi’s dense winter fog, is expected to be fully restored by November 27.
With ILS unavailable, aircraft had to rely on Required Navigation Performance systems that depend on GPS signals. The GPS spoofing rendered this backup system unreliable, creating perfect conditions for congestion at an airport handling approximately 1,500 daily flight movements.
Safety Systems Compromised
The Navigation Integrity Category value, which measures aircraft positioning accuracy, reportedly dropped dramatically from 8 to 0 within a 110 km radius of Delhi. This significant safety concern prompted the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to launch a formal enquiry into the GPS spoofing incidents.
“Why GPS spoofing is happening could be a security-sensitive issue, and we don’t want to know why the same is happening. The only thing that needs to be done is having ILS on IGIA’s main runway 10/28 at the earliest,” a source told The Times of India.
Broader Pattern of GPS Interference
The Delhi incidents follow a pattern of increasing GPS spoofing in the region. Earlier this year, the government reported 465 GPS spoofing incidents near the India-Pakistan border between November 2023 and February 2025.
Globally, the International Air Transport Association recorded 430,000 GPS jamming and spoofing cases over conflict zones in 2024 – representing a 62% increase from the previous year. Aviation authorities have advised pilots to exercise extreme caution when approaching Delhi airspace until the navigation systems are fully stabilized.
