The Finnish airline Finnair has suspended its flights to the Estonian city of Tartu for a month due to GPS disruptions. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna described the GPS disruptions as the result of a “hybrid attack by Russia.”
For years, accusations have been made against the Russian government of interference in satellite navigation systems. But in the aftermath of the war in Ukraine, reports of possible manipulation have increased dramatically.
On Sunday, the foreign ministers of the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania warned in an interview with the British newspaper ‘Financial Times’ that Russia is increasing the risk of a flying accident through large-scale so-called ‘jamming’, i.e. the targeted interference with GPS signals. The chief diplomats referred to flights to and from Finland.
Finnish planes had to return to Helsinki
According to Finnair, its pilots reported GPS interference on several occasions, especially near the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and around the Black Sea, Caspian Sea and eastern Mediterranean. Last week, two planes en route from Helsinki to Tartu returned to the Finnish capital due to GPS interference.
Now look for an approach solution without GPS signal
Now air traffic to Tartu will be suspended until “an alternative approach solution that does not require a GPS signal can be established,” Finnair said on Monday. The Estonian Foreign Minister complained: “Russia knows very well that the disruption it has caused is very dangerous for our aviation and violates international treaties to which Russia is also a party.” in the EEA public broadcaster statement.
Source: Krone
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