Commercial planes have been disrupted by jamming their satellite navigation systems, according to pilots.
According to the head of satellite navigation at France's civil aviation authority, there have been disruptions around the Black Sea, the Kaliningrad region, and near Eastern Finland.
The jamming is likely due to Russian trucks carrying jamming equipment that is meant to protect soldiers against missiles. He said that the goal was not to jam civil aviation.
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has had a negative impact on the aviation industry. It has mostly been disrupted by Russia's airspace ban and Western sanctions against Russian airlines, which have left jets stranded in the country. Commercial aircraft safety will be impacted as well.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency warned about an increased probability of problems with the Global navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) after Russia invaded.
The agency noted that some planes had to be diverted.
The agency said in a release that the effects of GNSS jamming and/or spoofing were observed by aircraft in various phases of their flights, in certain cases leading to re-routing or even to change the destination due to the inability to perform a safe landing procedure.
Insider requested comment from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the Director General of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, but they did not respond immediately.
There have been disruptions in the Eastern Mediterranean area near Cyprus, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and Northern Iraq.
The disruptions that year were caused by Russia's involvement in the Syrian conflict. According to a report by the EU, more than 60 airlines reported losses in their satellite navigation systems.
All of Europe needs to put in place contingency plans if the satellite systems are lost. It is a wake-up call.
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