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Air traffic disruptions are regularly reported in the Western Pacific and South China Sea. Currently, there are GPS failures and jamming of radio communications from aircraft.
The cause of the interference has been attributed to Chinese warships in the region, which are expanding their presence there. Australian airline Qantas Airways has already instructed its pilots how to respond to the interference.
In the event of a relevant radio or GPS signal failure, pilots are to continue on their flight path and report any problems immediately. Qantas says there have been no safety-related incidents to date.
GPS interference warning
The International Pilots Association (IFALPA) warned against such GPS interference in early March.
“The loss of the GPS signal is not a safety issue because there are other navigation systems on board aircraft that are more reliable,”
However, if the Chinese military is hijacking VHF frequencies on aircraft and using them to communicate with pilots, it should be “thoroughly tested”. Two VHF frequencies, 123.45 and 121.5 MHz, are reserved for specialised communications in aviation.
The first is used for communication between pilots in the air, for example to warn each other of turbulence. The second is used for urgent distress calls.
Last March, similar GPS failures occurred on the Russian-Finnish border. The Lithuanian airline Transaviabaltika had to cancel 18 flights between Helsinki and Savonlinna due to GPS failures.
At the time, there were two possible explanations for the GPS failures: either an electromagnetic solar storm or Russian action.
