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New Indian Express
04-05-2025
- New Indian Express
GPS jammers put in place along India-Pak borders, harrowing time for pilots
NEW DELHI: The electronic warfare units deployed by India to jam Global Positioning Systems (GPS) of Pakistan military aircraft along the Indo-Pak border are creating issues for flights within India flying over cities in the vicinity, said an airport source. There is no major passenger safety involved but the flights are forced to fly a little longer due to problems encountered by the navigation aids inside the cockpit. 'Of late, we have received complaints from pilots of different airlines flying over Amritsar, Chandigarh and Srinagar about the sudden signal drops at some points during the travel. This forces them to fly a little longer than expected. Airlines are now loading some extra fuel in the flights flying towards this direction, taking into account the need to move around a bit extra distance whenever needed,' the source said. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation too has been apprised of the issue, the source added. According to Global tracker of aircraft flights, flightradar24, in a report states, 'GPS jamming involves saturating GPS receivers with unknown signals to render the receiver unusable, essentially degrading everyone's ability to effectively use GPS for navigational issues.' Aviation safety consultant and former pilot Captain Mohan Ranganathan said, 'All flight management systems use GPS signals and separations are based on accurate signals. If they are degraded, radar separations and conventional navigation has to be followed. This will cause delays. Airlines and Air Traffic Controllers will have to anticipate disruptions in schedules.' A pilot, requesting anonymity said, 'That can happen in any war-ravaged area. It is called as a GPS denied airspace.' He added, 'Defence aircraft mostly are fully equipped and won't be affected by GPS spoofing as the technology and satellites are under our control.'
Daily Mirror
02-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Holidaymaker arrested on UK flight to Tenerife after 'outrageous act' on plane
A holidaymaker was caught red-handed as they carried out a prohibited act on-board a plane. They were escorted away by the police after arriving in Tenerife from Manchester A tourist has been arrested after they were reportedly caught carrying out an outragious act in front of dozens of travellers on-board a plane. The holidaymaker, who boarded the flight from Manchester, was expecting to jet-off to sunny Tenerife. But when they arrived, they were stopped by police following reports that the passenger had been smoking on the plane. The pilot and flight staff alerted the police before they arrived at the island's south airport today. According to reports, the aircraft was a suspected Ryanair Boeing 737 flight. Airlines make it clear that such a brazen act is prohibited on-board a plane. Luckily, the flight landed smoothly and without any concerns. However, once on the tarmac, police stormed the aircraft and located the passenger and arrested them. It is not known if the offender was male or female or British, though this nationality is assumed as they had flown from Manchester. Air Traffic Controllers flagged the incident on their Twitter account, with the incident further being reported by local media. "Fortunately, the landing went smoothly but this type of situation highlights one of the risks faced by crews and passengers on commercial flights," the Spanish press reported. Air traffic controllers have expressed "all their support for the passengers and crews who often have to endure these situations that put the safety of all the occupants of the aircraft at risk." Smoking on an airplane has been banned for decades, and international regulations are clear about it. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) established a ban on smoking on commercial flights due to the health risks to passengers and crew. This measure was reinforced by the Chicago Convention of 1944 and by the regulations of the European Union and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States. In addition to the obvious health risk, smoking on board an airplane can also be a safety hazard. Lighting a cigarette in an enclosed, pressurised environment increases the risk of fire, which is unacceptable in an aircraft. Airlines often have strict policies in place to sanction passengers who do not follow these rules, with fines or arrest upon arrival at the airport.
