VILNIUS, LITHUANIA, March 4, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In recent years, GPS signal interference linked to Russia has increased in the Baltic Sea region and Southeastern Europe. This has caused dozens of flight disruptions such as significant delays and cancellations. Flight compensation management company Skycop points out that passengers are generally not entitled to monetary compensation in such cases. However, airlines are still required to assist affected passengers.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), global navigation satellite system (GNSS) interference—including signal disruptions, jamming, and spoofing—surged between 2023 and 2024. Interference rates increased by 175%, while GPS spoofing incidents spiked by 500%. Such instances typically occur near Ukrainian and Israeli airspace. On certain days, flight crews have reported over a thousand navigation system disruptions.
As GPS and other satellite systems are not the primary or sole navigation tools for aircraft, signal interference does not halt the aviation industry. However, under specific circumstances, it can lead to flight diversions or cancellations. For example, in January, a flight from London to Vilnius was forced to land in Warsaw due to such disruptions. A similar incident occurred in December 2024 on a flight between Riga and Vienna. Additionally, last April, a newly introduced route between Helsinki and Tartu was canceled for an entire month due to these issues.
Skycop’s attorney Nerijus Zaleckas explains that the EU261 regulation grants monetary compensation only if a journey is disrupted due to circumstances within the airlines’ control. So if a flight is delayed or canceled due to GPS interference, carriers can reasonably classify it as a force majeure event. However, even in such cases, airlines must still take care of passengers.
“I find it hard to imagine a court ruling that would not consider GPS interference as force majeure. However, both EU261 regulation and the Montreal Convention still oblige airlines to take all reasonable measures to minimize passenger inconvenience. So, while in theory, compensation claims could be made for GPS jamming-related flight disruptions, expectations should remain low in practice. On the other hand, if a flight is diverted to another airport due to GPS interference, airlines are typically required to provide meals, transportation to the final destination or reimbursed related expenses, access to communication, and in some cases, overnight accommodation. If an airline fails to meet these obligations, passengers should submit claims directly or through compensation management companies,” says N. Zaleckas.
Skycop.com also points out that flights can be disrupted by other technical or external factors beyond an airline’s control. For instance, on January 30, a one-hour failure of computer and radar systems disrupted air traffic control across Belgium, causing dozens of delays. However, affected passengers would not qualify for monetary compensation. That being said, Skycop emphasizes that the majority of significant delays or cancellations occur due to factors within the airlines’ control, such as poor planning, crew shortages, disruptions from previous flights or cost-cutting measures. Additionally, some airlines may manipulate the stated reasons for disruptions, which is why Skycop advises passengers to seek compensation in all questionable cases.
Under EU261 regulation, compensation for disruptions applies when departing from an EU airport (regardless of the airline’s country of registration) and when arriving at an EU airport with an EU-registered airline. If a departing flight reaches its final destination more than three hours late, passengers are entitled to compensation ranging from €250 to €600, depending on the flight distance. Compensation may also be available for canceled flights, unforeseen transportation or accommodation costs, denied boarding, lost baggage and other scenarios.
Kostas Baubinas
Kitaip tariant MB
email us here
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
