In the first half of this year, Global Positioning System (GPS) disruptions in Latvian airspace were recorded 660 times – an 88% increase compared to the same period last year, according to representatives of Latvijas Gaisa Satiksme (LGS), the state-owned air navigation service provider.
In June alone, 126 GPS disruptions were recorded, which is 5.3 times more than in June last year, when 24 cases were registered.
In total, 820 GPS disruptions were recorded in 2023, compared to 342 incidents in 2022 and only 26 in 2021.
LGS has previously noted that these data do not specify which airlines were affected.
According to the air navigation company, the disruptions began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and are likely related to that conflict.
The Civil Aviation Agency (CAA) previously explained to LETA that it reviews and analyzes all reports of GPS signal disruptions in Latvian airspace.
Although these disruptions affect the normal operations of civil aviation, they do not pose a threat to the safety
of flights transiting through or flying to and from Latvia.
The CAA emphasizes that multiple systems are used to ensure flight safety, meaning GPS disruptions do not compromise it. Each incident involving GPS interference is centrally collected and analyzed by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
LGS is a 100% state-owned company responsible for providing air navigation services to users of Latvian airspace.
The CAA’s mission is to implement state policy and governance in the use of Latvian airspace and the operation of civil aviation. It supervises the safety of civil aircraft operations and aviation security, as well as ensures compliance with environmental protection requirements regarding aircraft emissions.
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