EASA & EUROCONTROL Launch Action Plan to Counter GPS Interference

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and EUROCONTROL (European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation) have published a joint Action Plan to address the rising threat of Global Navigation Satellite System interference. The move comes in response to a documented 220% increase in GPS signal loss events between 2021 and 2024, as recorded by the IATA Global Aviation Data Management Flight Data eXchange.

The plan marks a strategic shift from issuing reactive pilot warnings to building systemic, long-term resilience across European airspace. It directly addresses sophisticated threats like 'spoofing'—the broadcast of counterfeit signals—which pose a greater safety risk than simple signal blocking ('jamming'). These events increase workload for pilots and air traffic controllers and can compromise the integrity of critical aircraft positioning data.

A Systemic Response to Escalating Threats

The frequency and severity of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) interference have grown significantly, driven largely by geopolitical conflicts near European borders. According to data from the Irish Aviation Authority and Eurocontrol's AUGUR system, by August 2024, approximately 1,500 flights per day were experiencing GNSS spoofing. The incidents are heavily concentrated in the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and Eastern Mediterranean regions.

The initiative follows a letter sent by 13 EU Member States to the European Commission on June 6, 2025, which called for coordinated action to mitigate the effects of Radio Frequency Interference (RFI). This political pressure underscored the need for a unified European strategy.

Florian Guillermet, Executive Director of EASA, stated that while short-term awareness campaigns have helped mitigate immediate threats, a more formal approach is required. "We need a structured plan that assigns clear roles and responsibilities to all actors in the aviation system," Guillermet said. Raúl Medina, Director-General of EUROCONTROL, added that the plan aligns with the organization's strategic goals. "This plan supports Member States in ensuring the resilience of aviation's critical infrastructure, which is a key objective of our Trajectory 2030 framework," Medina commented.

The Action Plan's Framework

The joint Action Plan sets out short, mid, and long-term measures, defining specific roles for airlines, Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), and manufacturers. High-impact stakeholders are directly addressed:

• Commercial Airlines and Operators: Face increased pilot workload, potential for route deviations, and the inability to use precise RNAV/RNP approaches in affected areas. The plan aims to provide better procedural guidance and real-time information.
• Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs): Must manage increased controller workload as pilots report navigation discrepancies and request conventional radar assistance. The plan calls for enhanced detection and reporting mechanisms.
• Avionics and Equipment Manufacturers: Are under pressure to develop and certify more resilient navigation systems that can better detect spoofing and integrate multiple positioning sources, such as inertial reference systems (IRS), to validate GNSS data.

This framework builds upon previous guidance, including EASA's Safety Information Bulletin (SIB) 2022-02R3, which offered recommendations for mitigating outage risks.

Technical Analysis

The Action Plan formalizes an industry-wide trend of shifting from containment to resilience. The underlying assumption is that GNSS interference is now a permanent feature of the operational environment, not a temporary anomaly to be waited out. This contrasts with the response to earlier incidents, such as the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) GPS interference event in October 2022, which was treated as a localized disruption. The current strategy acknowledges that the threat, often a byproduct of military electronic warfare, is persistent and geographically widespread.

This approach is a direct evolution of the EASA and IATA Joint Mitigation Plan from June 2025, which focused primarily on information gathering. The new plan is more prescriptive, assigning accountability for building robust systems. While pilot unions like the European Cockpit Association (ECA) have welcomed the focus on safety, they also emphasize the need to reduce cognitive overload in the cockpit and prevent GNSS from becoming a single point of failure in aircraft navigation.

What Comes Next

The Action Plan outlines a phased implementation of its measures, scheduled to take place between 2026 and 2030. These steps will involve developing new operational procedures, enhancing training for pilots and controllers, and advancing technical standards for avionics. A key milestone is expected in late 2026, when the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is anticipated to pursue global alignment on GNSS protection standards during its assembly, potentially creating a worldwide framework based on Europe's initiative.

Why This Matters

The EASA-EUROCONTROL Action Plan signifies a critical evolution in European aviation safety strategy. It formally acknowledges that GNSS interference is no longer a fringe issue but a core operational risk. The move represents a coordinated, long-term investment in technology, procedures, and training to future-proof the integrity of Europe's Air Traffic Management system against the spillover effects of modern electronic warfare.

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