Luxair acknowledged in a statement released on Tuesday that, in recent months, certain regions of the world have experienced disruptions during flights due to incidents of GPS jamming.
The airline emphasised its swift response to these challenges, stating that it has promptly implemented flight procedures recommended by aircraft manufacturers to mitigate associated risks. These measures include “the use of alternative conventional navigation systems independent of GPS and the deactivation of faulty GPS signals.”
Luxair underscored that these precautions are taken with utmost priority on safety — assuring passengers that they “do not compromise the safety of Luxair flights in any way.” The airline reaffirmed a commitment to maintaining the highest standards of safety, stating that there existed “inaccuracies [within] certain media coverage on the subject.”
European media reports indicate that approximately 50,000 flights have been affected by targeted GPS jamming in recent months, primarily above countries such as Poland, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Estonia, and the Black Sea region.
As recently as last weekend, two Finnair flights were forced to abort landings in Estonia due to disruptions — with both flights returning to Helsinki.
These so-called ‘jamming’ or ‘spoofing’ attacks allegedly originate from Russia. Reports mention a “Russian military base” in Kaliningrad from which these attacks are supposedly launched. Russia has denied the allegations and labelled them as “propaganda.”
GPS jamming disrupts the navigational and positional data of aircraft, with potential implications for flight safety. It can also be employed to prevent drone flights over sensitive areas.
A more concerning form of interference is ‘spoofing’, which involves the transmission of false data regarding altitude and position to cockpit instruments, usually with the goal of deliberately throwing pilots off course. Luxair sought to reassure passengers by affirming its awareness of GPS jamming incidents and the readiness of its operational teams to respond effectively if necessary. It stressed that such incidents “never lead to a loss of control of the aircraft.”
