Emirates flight faces GPS glitch before landing at Karachi airport

Aircraft faces disruption at about 3,000 feet altitude

KARACHI:

An Emirates Airline flight experienced GPS signal difficulties shortly before landing at Karachi airport on Tuesday night, aviation sources said.

Flight EK606 reported the issue while approaching the runway at around 3,000 feet. The captain immediately alerted Karachi Air Traffic Control (ATC), which guided to ensure a safe approach.

The aircraft reportedly faced the disruption at an altitude of about 3,000 feet, just minutes before its scheduled landing. The flight crew alerted ATC to the technical difficulty, after which controllers provided guidance to ensure a safe approach.

Despite the disruption, the aircraft landed safely on Runway 25L.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has issued a statement saying that navigation equipment at all airports across Pakistan, including Karachi is fully operational.

The statement also clarified that GPS signals are not provided from the ground, rather they are a service delivered through foriegn satellites orbiting the earth. It mentioned that aircrafts do not rely solely on GPS, they also have INS, VOR, ILS and ATC support. Solar storms, cyber warfare, jammers, and spoofing are all factors that can affect GPS signals. 

Read: Navigation malfunction diverts PIA flight

In February this year, another aircraft encountered challenges with GPS. The issues were primarily affecting flight paths in and around Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad airports.

ATC instructed pilots to report GPS signal difficulties immediately, along with details of the interference, to ensure the safety and efficiency of flight operations.

In case of navigation difficulties, pilots were advised to take necessary steps to maintain safe and continuous flight navigation and inform ATC for further assistance.

Read More: 'Time hacking' GPS spoofers target commercial airlines, researchers say

The disruptions, primarily due to frequency interference, had the potential to impact flight routes and cause deviations in the aircraft's trajectory. Pakistan’s aviation authorities are working on mitigating the issues, but safety measures and continued monitoring were enforced to avoid any mishaps.

The notice further stated that pilots should be vigilant and communicate any GPS-related disturbances immediately, particularly as such interferences can jeopardise the safe navigation of flights.