Anonymous reader quotes The Register report. Europe's aviation safety agency is working with the aviation industry to counter the dangers posed by interference with GPS signals, which is now considered a growing threat to the safety of air travel. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently held a workshop on incidents of impersonation of satellite navigation systems and jamming, calling them a “major challenge” to safety. I concluded. The agencies said that measures need to be taken in the short-term and medium- to long-term timescales to reduce the risks posed by such practices. They want to start by sharing information about the case and possible remedies.
In Europe, this information sharing takes place through the European Outbreak Reporting Scheme and EASA's Data4Safety program. Given the global nature of the problem, a broader solution is preferable, but this will need to be pursued at a later date, EASA said. Naturally, another measure involves retaining conventional navigation aids to ensure a conventional backup for GNSS navigation. Meanwhile, the third measure requires aircraft manufacturers to ensure that airlines and other aircraft operators know how to manage jamming and spoofing situations. As a further step, EASA said it would notify all parties involved, including airlines, air navigation service providers, airports and the aviation industry, about the recorded incident.
Interference with the global navigation system can take one of two forms. Jamming simply involves transmitting a radio signal strong enough to drown out the signal from the GPS satellites. Spoofing, on the other hand, is more insidious and involves sending false signals that trick receivers into miscalculating their location. . According to EASA, in recent years, jamming and spoofing incidents have increasingly threatened the integrity of location services across Eastern Europe and the Middle East. […] IATA said concerted action is needed, including sharing safety data and commitments from countries to maintain traditional navigation systems as backup.