What in the World - Why your plane’s GPS might be sabotaged (but don’t be scared)

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GPS interference or GPS ‘jamming’ is getting more common. It’s when radio signals on the same frequencies as GPS satellites are used to overwhelm and block legitimate navigation signals. It’s led to pilots having to make emergency landings or switch to older non-GPS systems. The issue has become so prevalent that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) held a conference on it last year. Several European governments also believe it is intentional interference by Russia. BBC journalist Emilia Jansson explains GPS jamming in detail and how it is affecting the aviation industry.

Plus we hear from Ian Petchenik, director of communications at flight-tracking website Flightradar24 about what GPS interference looks like in real-time.

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Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producer: Emilia Jansson and Benita Barden
Editor: Verity Wilde

Published on Tuesday, 25th November 2025.

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