Russia is suspected of launching “extremely dangerous” electronic attacks on thousands of British holiday flights, airline sources have claimed.
Planes appear to suffer from GPS jamming and spoofing, which uses false signals to fool pilots into thinking the plane is in a different location than where they actually are.
The European Aviation Safety Agency warned in January that authorities had seen a “sharp increase” in jamming and spoofing “attacks”, but did not say who was behind the attacks.
But industry experts now say Putin’s forces are behind the attacks. An insider told The Sun that “the information provided by the Russians is false”.
The suggestion echoes that of an aide who reportedly blamed Russia for the “extremely irresponsible” attack that grounded an RAF plane as it flew over Poland as Defense Secretary Grant Shapps was on board.
Russia is suspected of launching “extremely dangerous” electronic attacks on thousands of British holiday flights, airline sources have claimed.
Plane logs revealed jamming hotspots in the Baltic region, Black Sea and eastern Mediterranean, the newspaper reported.
According to researchers, the number of suspected Russian satellite attacks was more than 350 per week last month, a significant increase from the fewer than 50 attacks per week recorded last year.
Between August and March, 46,000 flights reportedly experienced satellite navigation (satnav) problems over the Baltic region.
These included 2,309 Ryanair flights, 1,368 Wizz Air flights, 82 British Airways flights and four EasyJet flights.
Seven planes operated by TUI – which reportedly do not fly in the Baltic – have recorded satellite navigation problems. The airline said its affected planes were “probably positioning flights without passengers.”
Virgin Atlantic, which also does not serve the region, was the only major British airline not affected by the electronic attacks.
In the eight months to March, 46,000 planes were reported to have experienced satellite navigation problems over the Baltic region, including 2,309 Ryanair flights, researchers say (file photo)
In a statement to The Sun, EasyJet said it had put procedures in place to “mitigate GPS issues”.
Similarly, Ryanair told the newspaper: “If a tracking system, such as GPS, does not work, the crew switches to alternative systems. »
Experts note that a “significant percentage” of aircraft reported as “low navigation accuracy” appear to “correlate well with areas of known and suspected jamming.”
Dr Jack Watling, a war expert at the think tank RUSI, told The Sun that Russia has “long used GPS jamming as a tool of harassment” and that the country is “projecting it beyond its borders.” NATO.”
“Wherever there is a large Russian garrison, there is a refusal of GPS and there is one in Kaliningrad,” he said. “They just activated this stuff because there are standing orders.”
Defense officials have previously accused Moscow of jamming GPS signals over the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus.
Industry experts now say Putin’s forces are behind the jamming and spoofing attacks. An estimated 1,368 Wizz Air flights were affected by satellite navigation issues between August and March (file photo)
Despite alleged Russian GPS attacks, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) still insists flying is safe, noting that there are several “protocols in place to protect the navigation systems of commercial aircraft” .
Glenn Bradley, Head of Flight Operations and the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “Aviation is one of the safest forms of air travel, and several safety protocols are in place to protect the navigation systems of commercial aircraft.
“GPS jamming does not directly impact an aircraft’s navigation and, although it is a known issue, it does not mean that an aircraft has been deliberately jammed.
“While operators have put mitigation measures in place to ensure safe operations, we are working closely with other aviation regulators, airlines and aircraft manufacturers to reduce and mitigate the risks posed by jamming, and continuously monitor incidents around the world.”
MailOnline has contacted WizzAir, Ryanair, EasyJet, TUI, Virgin Atlantic and BA for comment.
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