Delhi airport hit by major cyber‑attack; govt confirms GPS‑hacking plot to divert aircraft

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Shocking news has emerged regarding air travel security. The central government officially acknowledged in the Rajya Sabha on Monday that a cyber attack had occurred at Delhi Airport. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu told the House that hackers had attempted to breach the aircraft's navigation systems.

Minister Ram Mohan Naidu stated that the incident occurred on November 10th at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. The GPS signals of aircraft were tampered with that day. This is known as GPS spoofing. Hackers send fake signals instead of the original GPS signal, making it difficult for pilots to determine the aircraft's exact location and direction.

Seven airports, including Delhi and Kolkata, were targeted

The government's revelation has raised the eyebrows of security agencies. The minister stated that this attack was not limited to Delhi alone; similar cyberattacks were attempted at seven airports across the country, including Delhi and Kolkata. Attempts were made to jam the system and disrupt signals.

GPS spoofing is considered a major threat to aircraft safety. If a pilot interprets a false signal as genuine, the aircraft could lose its course or collide with another object. The government has acknowledged this in Parliament, making it clear that digital threats to air safety are now looming. The Ministry has assured that technical security systems are being strengthened to address this challenge.