Flight faces GPS signal issue

KARACHI:

A Dubai-Karachi flight faced GPS signal disruption during its landing approach over Karachi airspace late Tuesday night, the third such incident reported in recent years, airport sources said on Wednesday.

According to the sources, flight EK606 encountered difficulties at around 3,000 feet on approach to Jinnah International Airport. The crew alerted the Air Traffic Control, which guided the aircraft for a safe landing on the runway.

"This was the third case of GPS signal loss or interference in Karachi's airspace in recent years," one source said. A Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) spokesperson said that GPS issue could be caused by various factors.

"GPS signals are provided by foreign satellites and can be disrupted by solar storms, cyber warfare, jammers or spoofing," he said, adding that aircraft were not solely dependent on GPS and are supported by systems such as INS, VOR, ILS and ground-based air traffic controllers.

"All navigation equipment at Karachi Airport and across Pakistan's airports is fully functional," the spokesperson said.