GPS Spoofing: On the evening of 7 November 2025, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system was affected at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI Airport) due to a technical glitch. Due to this glitch, more than 800 flights were delayed and cancelled, affecting air routes across the country. According to the report of Times of India, in the last few days, several incidents of GPS spoofing were reported at Delhi Airport which became a major reason for this problem.
After all, what is GPS Spoofing?
According to cyber security company McAfee, GPS Spoofing is a cyber technique in which false location signals are sent by deceiving the GPS receiver. This means that the device is made to feel as if it is located somewhere else when in reality it is somewhere else.
This attack directly impacts the accuracy of GPS data, which is critical for many technologies such as navigation, tracking, time synchronization and aviation. Earlier this technology was limited but now the availability of low-cost hardware and software has made it a serious cyber threat.
Heavy impact on flights
Airports Authority of India (AAI) said that the technical problem has been fixed but due to flight backlog, it will take time for operations to return to normal. According to reports, due to easterly winds the direction of the runway had to be changed and the planes had to land from Dwarka side and take off from Vasant Kunj side. Due to this, a situation of air jam was created over Delhi.
According to The Hindu report, last week several airlines complained of incidents like fake navigation data and false location alerts while flying over Delhi. This matter is now being investigated by DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation).
Is it time to upgrade your ATC system?
In August 2025, the Standing Transport Committee of Parliament had recommended an immediate review and upgrade of India’s ATC automation system. According to the News-Patiala report, the committee had warned that the use of old technology could pose a major threat to both security and operations in the country’s high-traffic airports like Delhi and Mumbai.
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