Disruptions to aircraft navigation systems, including signal interruptions, jamming, and GPS spoofing, increased by 175% in 2024, posing significant safety concerns for the aviation industry.
GPS spoofing incidents alone surged by 500% within the same period, according to data from the IATA Incident Data Exchange (IDX), recently published on the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) website.
The report highlighted that while backup systems help mitigate risks when Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are compromised, such disruptions still pose a serious threat to civil aviation. The most affected regions were identified as Türkiye, Iraq, and Egypt, raising significant safety concerns.
IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh, voiced alarm over the escalating problem, stating:
“Reports of GNSS interference—including signal disruptions, jamming, and spoofing—rose sharply between 2023 and 2024. Interference rates increased by 175%, while GPS spoofing incidents spiked by 500%.”
Walsh emphasised the urgent need for governments and air navigation service providers to take immediate action to curb these disruptions, enhance situational awareness, and ensure airlines have the necessary tools to operate safely across all regions.
The surge in GNSS interference incidents was part of a broader aviation safety report released by IATA for 2024.
The all-accident rate for the year stood at 1.13 per million flights, showing improvement over the five-year average of 1.25, but slightly worse than the 1.09 recorded in 2023.
There were seven fatal accidents in 2024, a sharp increase from one fatal accident in 2023, resulting in 244 fatalities, compared to 72 the previous year.
The report provided a regional breakdown of aviation safety performance:
North America recorded 12 accidents, with the all-accident rate improving from 1.53 per million flights in 2023 to 1.20 in 2024. No fatalities were reported since 2020.
The Asia-Pacific region had seven accidents, with the rate increasing to 1.04 per million flights, but still below the five-year average of 1.10.
Africa reported 10 accidents, the highest accident rate of any region at 10.59 per million flights, but maintained a zero fatality risk for the second consecutive year.
The Middle East and North Africa region experienced two accidents, keeping the accident rate low at 1.08 per million flights. However, GNSS interference was highlighted as a growing concern.
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) recorded no accidents in 2024, marking a significant improvement. However, GNSS interference and conflict-related risks remained major concerns.
Europe reported nine accidents, with a slight increase in the all-accident rate to 1.02 per million flights.
North Asia had one accident, maintaining a low rate of 0.13 per million flights, with no fatalities reported.
Latin America and the Caribbean recorded five accidents, leading to an increase in the accident rate from 0.73 per million flights in 2023 to 1.77 in 2024. The fatality risk also increased to 0.35, with tail strikes being the most common issue in the region.
IATA’s report identified tail strikes and runway excursions as the most frequent types of accidents worldwide, reinforcing the need for enhanced safety measures during take-off and landing.
Despite the rise in GNSS interference threats, the fatality risk remained low at 0.06, below the five-year average of 0.10.
While aviation remains one of the safest modes of transport, IATA stressed the urgent need for coordinated global action to tackle the growing problem of GNSS interference and ensure the continued safety of air travel.