,India’s aviation ecosystem is once again under the cybersecurity spotlight after the central government officially confirmed that seven major airports across the country were targeted in a coordinated cyber attack involving GPS spoofing. These airports include Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bengaluru — collectively handling millions of passengers every day.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu informed Parliament that multiple aircraft approaching Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) reported interference during landing procedures, specifically on Runway 10 which relies on GPS-based navigation. Pilots received misleading positional data — a classic hallmark of GPS spoofing, wherein false GPS signals override legitimate ones and cause aircraft systems to misinterpret their altitude or location.

What Exactly Happened? The Nature of the Cyber Attack

GPS spoofing is among the most dangerous forms of digital interference in aviation. By feeding fake signals to aircraft receivers, attackers can—at least theoretically—manipulate navigation paths. In this case, multiple flights detected anomalies but no flight was cancelled or divertedthanks to immediate corrective protocols activated by air traffic controllers and on-board safety systems.

The government clarified that while the attack was serious, operational stability was maintained and no passenger was put at risk. India’s aviation network switched to contingency procedures, including reliance on ILS (Instrument Landing System), radar guidance, and pilot manual oversight.

Which Airports Were Affected?

The cyber incidents were detected across some of India’s busiest hubs:

• Delhi – IGI Airport


• Mumbai Airport


• Bengaluru Airport


• Hyderabad Airport


• Kolkata Airport


• (Two more airports unnamed due to security protocol)

These airports collectively manage a massive chunk of India’s domestic and international flight operations, making them high-value targets for sophisticated cyber attackers.

Government Response: Heightened Vigilance and Protocol Upgrades

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has placed all impacted airports under enhanced cyber surveillance. DGCA, BCAS, and airport CISOs (Chief Information Security Officers) are coordinating with intelligence agencies to trace the attack’s origin.

Experts believe the episode underscores India’s urgent need to strengthen aviation cybersecurityespecially as aircraft increasingly depend on satellite-based navigation.

India is now evaluating stronger encryption for navigation systems, improved anti-spoofing algorithms, and deeper integration between aviation and cybersecurity agencies.