The central government has confirmed reports that seven major airports across India were targeted by cyber attacks, leading to disruptions at key aviation hubs. The confirmation follows reports of technical anomalies, including the spoofing of navigational systems, at several big airports nationwide.
According to a report from Matrubhumi, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu informed the Parliament that flights approaching these airports reported GPS spoofing while using GPS-based landing procedures at Runway 10 of the IGI Airport in Delhi. The government acknowledged that the airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru were among those affected by the cybersecurity incidents.
GPS spoofing reported, says government
The primary mode of the cyber attack involved the reported spoofing of Global Positioning System (GPS) signals, particularly affecting flights approaching the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. GPS spoofing occurs when false GPS signals are broadcast to receivers, misleading aircraft navigation systems about their actual position and altitude.
Despite the serious nature of the cyber attack, the government emphasised that no flight operations were disrupted or cancelled due to the GPS spoofing. Contingency measures and continued security protocols ensured that air traffic control systems maintained stability, allowing flights to operate without interruption.
Security on high alert
While flight operations remained unaffected, the confirmation of attacks on such vital transport infrastructure highlights a growing vulnerability in India’s digital ecosystem. The affected airports, which include some of the busiest domestic and international gateways in the country, are currently maintaining a high state of cyber vigilance.
This incident follows a separate system failure at the Delhi airport in November, which caused widespread delays and had also raised initial suspicions of a cyber attack. However, that incident was later attributed to a technical glitch in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS). The Ministry of Civil Aviation and related security agencies continue to monitor the situation to ensure the uninterrupted flow of air traffic and to implement enhanced cyber countermeasures.
The cyber attack also comes just a couple of days after flight operations were impacted globally due to a software-related fix required for Airbus A320 airplanes. The A320 narrowbody jet is usually considered the backbone of the domestic and local-level aviation industry, serving all kinds of airlines from even the most remote airports around the world. The issue had impacted around 388 flights in India alone on Saturday. By Sunday, all Indian airlines had completed the software upgrade, which made the planes fit for resuming commercial operations.
