A Ryanair flight from Gdańsk to Bratislava was diverted to Vienna on August 24th after experiencing issues with GPS and ground navigation systems.
Flight Diverted
A Ryanair flight traveling from Gdańsk to Bratislava on August 24th was redirected to Vienna, landing there before 3 AM. Passengers reported navigation issues with the GPS and ground navigation systems after landing in Bratysławie.
Slovak Airport Confirms GPS Problems
The Bratislava Airport confirmed that the initial landing was not possible due to GPS signal disruptions, with ground navigation system repairs taking place on one of the airport’s runways.
Russian Involvement Suspected
Slovak services admitted that GPS signal issues occurred over Bratislava’s airport on that day. Media in the country pointed out that it’s unclear whether Russia was involved in the incident. Previous UE cases have suggested Moscow’s interference, which the Latvian government has attributed to electronic warfare devices in Kaliningrad, Pskov, and Leningrad regions. Russia confirmed using them for defense against Ukrainian drones, according to the Slovak portal hnonline.sk.
NATO Responds to Russian GPS Disruptions
On Sunday, September 31st, a plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had difficulty landing in Bulgaria due to GPS signal disruptions, a situation NATO attributes to Russian interference. During the approach, the signal failed, forcing controllers to switch to ground navigation systems. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has stressed the seriousness of Russia’s GPS jamming.
