NEW DELHI: A suspected GPS spoofing attack that crippled flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport has prompted an investigation by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s office. The incident, which briefly grounded major domestic and international carriers, has reignited concerns about India’s aviation safety systems—already flagged by a recent parliamentary committee report as “lagging behind global standards.”
A National Security Probe into the Heart of India’s Aviation System
The Office of the National Security Advisor (NSA), led by Ajit Doval, has launched a high-level probe into a suspected GPS spoofing attack that disrupted flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport earlier this week. Officials confirmed that the anomaly, which crippled communication and navigation systems under the Airport Management Support System (AMSS), temporarily brought flight movements to a halt.
The disruption, which lasted several hours, affected major domestic carriers such as IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air, alongside international airlines including British Airways and Lufthansa. While the issue was resolved within a day, it exposed a critical fault line in India’s aviation security infrastructure—an area increasingly vulnerable to both cyber and technical threats.
Automation Under Stress: The AMSS Breakdown
Preliminary findings indicate that the malfunction stemmed from interference in the automated systems managing air traffic coordination and GPS tracking. The AMSS, a core backbone of modern airport operations, synchronizes navigation data, weather inputs, and flight management software. A disruption—whether caused by a cyberattack or a system overload—can cascade rapidly through radar, communication, and control networks.
For passengers, the incident translated into chaos on the ground: delayed departures, missed connections, and a sudden breakdown in real-time flight data visibility. For aviation authorities, it underscored a deeper challenge—the growing strain on India’s automation systems as air traffic surges to pre-pandemic highs.
Warnings Ignored: A Parliamentary Report’s Stark Findings
The crisis came barely two months after a parliamentary committee issued a prescient warning about “performance degradation” in India’s aviation automation systems. The 380th report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture—tabled on August 20—had flagged slowness, lag, and system inefficiencies at major airports, including Delhi and Mumbai.
The committee cautioned that these technical limitations, coupled with outdated air traffic control (ATC) infrastructure, could jeopardize flight safety. It further highlighted chronic staff shortages, rising controller fatigue, and the slow pace of modernization—factors that have collectively pushed India’s aviation systems behind global benchmarks.
Global Standards, Local Gaps
India’s aviation sector, one of the fastest-growing in the world, has struggled to align its safety architecture with international standards. While the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has accelerated modernization programs under its Air Navigation Services Roadmap, experts warn that digital vulnerabilities—especially cyber interference like GPS spoofing—represent a new frontier of risk.
The Delhi incident, now under the NSA’s scrutiny, marks a critical juncture. It is no longer only about technical resilience but also about national security preparedness in a digital era where the skies are as much about networks as they are about airways.
