The European Union Aviation Safety Agency and EUROCONTROL joined forces this week, hosting a workshop with more than 100 experts from across the aviation sector to discuss the response to the growing operational impact of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) across European and neighbouring airspace.
GNSS are vital to modern aviation, enabling precise positioning, navigation and timing across virtually all phases of flight. At the same time, interference with GNSS signals—whether through jamming or spoofing—has become a growing and persistent reality, particularly in regions close to conflict zones.
Following the request by 13 EU Member States and the European Commission EASA and EUROCONTROL have developed the first version of the European Aviation Action Plan for Ensuring Safe Operations during GNSS Interference, engaging operational stakeholders, manufacturers, and relevant authorities. The plan sets out who needs to act, what actions are required, and by when, ensuring the timely and effective implementation of appropriate mitigations to address GNSS interference risks.
This week’s workshop is an important part of the Action Plan. By sharing information, strategies and approaches from across industry, participants are helping to support its implementation, develop more coherent, system-wide solutions and ensure more efficient use of resources. The discussions confirmed broad agreement among participants on the course of action outlined in the Action Plan, including the need to extend actions beyond the EU given the global nature of GNSS RFI, and to strengthen cooperation with ICAO and other international partners. The workshop also provided further input to support the ongoing work of the GNSS RFI Action Plan Task Force.
Prominent speakers from some of the most concerned airlines, air navigation service providers and industry explained how they are responding to growing GNSS radio-frequency interference through a combination of operational procedures, training and new technology. Pilots and controllers shared their real-life experience with interference in everyday operations, taking advantage of enhanced situational awareness, standardised phraseology, harmonised procedures and realistic simulator training to help crews respond safely and consistently. Industry representatives highlighted major upgrades already well underway, showing that avionics design is actively evolving to meet today’s operational realities.
The workshop also showcased how the aviation community is strengthening long-term resilience by improving aircraft CNS and related systems, advancing alternative and more robust positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) solutions, and enhancing cooperation on data sharing, standardisation and infrastructure. Together, these efforts aim to reduce the operational impact of GNSS interference today while building more robust and resilient CNS capabilities for the future.
Background
The workshop built on earlier EASA–IATA PNT resilience workshops that have brought together regulators, air navigation service providers, aircraft operators, manufacturers, and international organisations in the past.
