Disruptions of global satellite navigation systems were recorded 175 times in Latvia’s air space in January 2025. This is five times more when compared to the same month of 2024, as LETA was told by representatives of Latvian Air Traffic (LGS).
The company mentioned that last January there were 34 cases of global satellite navigation system disruptions. In January 2023, on the other hand, there was only one such case.
There was a total of 830 cases of disruptions of the global satellite navigation system in 2024, and 342 – in 2023.
At the same time, LGS notes that data includes information from all affected airlines. No company is singled out.
The company also reports that disruptions started at the same time as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and are clearly related to it.
Commenting as to why there is such a rapid rise in such cases, LGS notes that the company does not have an answer. Nevertheless, last year, the increase in the number of flights could have had some impact, but this cannot explain all the increase and the sharp increase in the number of disruptions at the end of the year.
The Civil Aviation Agency (CAA) previously told LETA that the CAA reviews and analyses reports on global positioning system (GPS) signal interference in Latvian airspace. Although they affect normal civil aviation processes, interference with the GPS signal does not pose a threat to the safety of aircraft flights both in transit and to and from aircraft flying from Latvia.
CAA stresses that flight safety employs several systems. This means GPS disruptions do not affect the safety of flights. Every case of GPS system disruption is analysed by the European Aviation Safety Agency.
LGS is 100% owned by the Latvian state. Its duty is provide aerial navigation services to air space users.
In turn, the duties of CAA is to implement the state policy and administration in the field of the use of Latvian air space and the operation of civil aviation by performing the supervision of civil aviation aircraft flight safety and civil aviation security, as well as by supervising the conformity of pollution caused by aircraft with the environmental protection requirements.