Finnish airline Finnair has announced the suspension of flights to the Estonian city of Tartu until alternative navigational solutions are in place, amid concerns over GPS interference in the region. The disruption, which has impacted air traffic safety, is alleged to be linked to actions by Russia, a claim bolstered by repeated instances of GPS jamming in the Baltic area since the onset of the war in Ukraine.
“The GPS interference in Tartu forces us to suspend flights until alternative solutions have been established,” said Jari Paajanen, Finnair’s director of operations. This decisive move comes after two Finnair flights were forced to return to Helsinki when GPS interference prevented their landing in Tartu on successive days, highlighting the severity of the issue.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna condemned the interference as a “hybrid attack,” attributing the blame to Russia and underscoring the gravity of the situation by stating, “Russia knows very well that the interference they are causing is very dangerous for our air traffic.” Minister Tsahkna has expressed his intention to bring this matter to the attention of both the European Union and NATO, signaling the international dimension of the issue and potential ramifications for Baltic security.
While GPS is a critical technology for modern aviation, particularly in approach and landing phases, Finnair assured that its aircraft are equipped with alternative navigation systems that can be utilized when GPS is compromised. “Most airports use alternative approach methods, but some airports, such as Tartu, only use methods that require a GPS signal to support them,” explained Paajanen.
The phenomenon of GPS jamming and spoofing has been on the rise since 2022, with Finnair pilots reporting interference not only near the Baltic states but also over Kaliningrad, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, and the eastern Mediterranean. These disruptions involve either blocking the GPS signal, known as jamming, or deceiving the aircraft’s systems with false positioning, known as spoofing.
While Russia is the suspected source of the GPS disruptions due to its proximity and ongoing tensions in the region, direct evidence linking the country to the specific incidents affecting Finnair flights has not been provided. Nevertheless, the implications for international aviation safety have propelled this issue into the spotlight, prompting scrutiny from aviation authorities and security analysts alike.
Finnair has apologized to its customers for the inconvenience caused by the suspension of flights to Tartu and is actively working on establishing alternate methods for navigation to resume service as soon as possible. In the meantime, the airline’s decision to halt flights stands as a testament to the challenges facing civil aviation in an increasingly complex and contested global security environment.
Relevant articles:
– Finnish carrier suspends Estonia flights after GPS interference prevents 2 landings, abcnews.go.com, 04/30/2024
– Estonia blames Russia for GPS interference that forces Finnair to suspend flights, POLITICO Europe, 04/29/2024
– Finnair suspends flights to Estonian airport after suspected Russian ‘GPS interference’, Yahoo News UK, 04/30/2024
– Russia jamming GPS? Finnair suspends flights to Estonia city, The Times of India, 04/29/2024