GPS-Wrecking Chaos: Tartu Airport Shuts Down Amidst Russian GPS Siege
Finnair Halts Month-Long Helsinki-Tartu Air Service Amidst Hybrid Assault by Russia
In a chilling twist, Finnish airline Finnair has decided to nix its daily flights from Helsinki to Tartu, Estonia, for a full month, starting from April 29 to May 31. The reason? A GPS-crippling attack by Russia leaves the Tartu airport in a hybrid quandary.
"Finnair has hit the brakes on its daily Tartu-bound flights, enabling us to implement an alternative approach devoid of GPS dependency at Tartu airport," Finnair stated in a press release.
Last weekend's drama saw two Finnair planes, bound for Tartu, turn tail en route due to a GPS equipment glitch. This two-night pattern repeated itself, with the planes departing Helsinki at 11:55 PM but failing to land in Tartu at 12:40 AM, forcing a U-turn back home instead. Passengers were informed of the culprit: a GPS equipment snafu.
On the night that doomed Friday and Saturday, the aircraft aborted its journey over Paide, while the second time around, it had nearly reached Põltsamaa before the retreat. Unfortunately, Tartu airport was left grounded, unable to dispatch planes towards Helsinki on either the following mornings.
A Piece of Represented Peril
Apprehensions have soared as foreign ministers of the Baltic states argue that the GPS interference emanates from Russia and poses such a daunting threat that it cannot be disregarded.
Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian foreign ministers have shared their concerns with the Financial Times, revealing that GPS blocking across the Baltics has stepped up in recent weeks. Estonian foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, sealed the deal, labelling the GPS disruptions at Tartu airport as a Russian hybrid aggression.
"We identify these GPS disruptions as part of Russia's hostile actions, and we will undoubtedly raise this issue with our allies. Such tactics are a form of hybrid warfare and pose a danger to our citizens and security. We will not comply," Tsahkna told the Financial Times.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, spoke keenly about the unfolding peril, likening the situation to someone switching off your headlights during a night drive. "Things in the Baltic region, near Russian borders, are now too dicey to ignore," Landsbergis said.
GPS Disruptions: A Terrifying Trend
In contemporary times, GPS disturbances near Russian borders, particularly in the Baltic states and Finland, have escalated significantly. Russia is suspected as the main culprit behind these acts of sabotage, with these disruptions multiplying since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
- Finland: Since 2022, Finland has suffered an exponential increase in suspected Russian disruptions to Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) services, such as GPS and Galileo. These disruptions have adversely affected aviation, marine, and military traffic, including satellite imagery essential for Finland's military, border patrol, and forestry sectors. Significant interference, numbering around 2,000 incidents, was reported in Finland in 2024, a massive escalation from the 239 instances seen in 2023[1][5].
- Estonia: Estonia's predicament mirrors Finland's, with authorities ascribing the GPS disruptions to installations belonging to the Russian military, particularly in Kaliningrad. In 2023, Estonia tallyied 307 official cases of aviation disruptions, with 85% attributed to GPS interferences[2][3].
- General Baltic Region: Since June 2023, the region has been inundated with GPS disruptions, primarily affecting civil aviation. Interference occurs at altitudes above 5,000 feet and can disrupt aircraft positioning accuracy. Ships in the Gulf of Finland have also suffered from these disturbances[3].
The consequences of GPS jamming on aviation safety are palpable:
- Safety Perils: Emboldening danger to aviation, these disruptions can imperil aircraft positioning and navigation. Nevertheless, local authorities stress that contingency procedures, born from pre-GPS navigation techniques, preserve safety levels[2][3].
- Economic Drawbacks: Beyond safety hazards, these disruptions can have economic ramifications, affecting air traffic efficiency, potentially leading to delays or detours.
- Countermeasures: Against these challenges, countries are developing countermeasures. For instance, Finland is working on devices to identify and mitigate jamming, with an EU-funded project aimed at creating algorithmic solutions to detect interference[1][5].
- The GPS tampering in the Baltic region, such as the incident at Tartu Airport in Estonia, has led Finland's Finnair to temporarily suspend its daily flights from Helsinki to Tartu for a month.
- The concerned foreign ministers from the Baltic states, including Estonia, have raised alarms over the GPS interference, claiming it originates from Russia and poses a significant threat.
- Last weekend, two Finnair planes bound for Tartu turned back due to a GPS equipment malfunction, causing passengers to be informed of the issue.
- In a press release, Finnair stated that they are suspending their Tartu-bound flights to implement an alternative approach independent of GPS dependency at Tartu airport.
- The aviation industry, particularly in Finland and Estonia, has been affected significantly by the high number of GPS disruptions since 2022, which are suspected to be orchestrated by Russia.
- Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis compared the current situation in the Baltic region to someone switching off your headlights during a night drive, warning that the danger cannot be ignored.
- In light of the increasing GPS disturbances, countries like Finland are researching and developing countermeasures, such as new devices to identify and mitigate jamming, as part of ongoing efforts to ensure aviation safety and security.
