European airlines experience disruptions in the GPS systems they use. The disruption is so dangerous for aircraft of the Finnish airline Finnair that fly to Tartu that all flights to the city remain grounded until further notice. The Finnish government points to Russia and puts the problems on the agenda for the EU and NATO.
Finnair pilots would experience disruptions in the Kaliningrad area and could no longer fly safely, the aviation organization said in a statement. Normally planes switch to an alternative system, but the small airport in Tartu only has a GPS system. According to the company, an alternative is being worked on so that the planes can get back in the air as quickly as possible.
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More frequent GPS problems
Finnish Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna reacted strongly to the company’s decision. “This is a deliberate action that disrupts our lives, endangers people’s lives and can be seen as a hybrid attack,” Tsahnka told Finland’s ERR. On X he reports that he will discuss the matter with his partners within NATO and the EU.
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This is not the first report of GPS system malfunctions. Last week, the British newspaper The Standard reported that thousands of aircraft from British airlines were hampered by disruptions in their GPS signal. Germany previously pointed to Russia for large-scale disruptions of GPS signals in the airspace above the Baltic states.
