Alternative navigation solutions added by Estonia due to ‘GPS Interference’

Following a GPS jamming interference in the Baltic region that prompted Finnair to pause some flights to Estonia for a month, the Estonian Air Navigation Services will offer an alternative navigation option with its distance measuring equipment solution (DME) from May 23. The DME can be utilised in the event of GPS interference in lower airspace. With the introduction of this alternative navigation option, Finnair subsequently announced it will resume flights to Tartu, Estonia, from June 2, 2024. The approach methods previously used at Tartu airport were based on GPS signals. As a result, GPS interference in the area has sometimes prevented aircraft from approaching and landing at the airport. This led Finnair to suspend flights between Helsinki and Tartu from April 29. ""All parties have cooperated well together in order to make an additional navigation option possible and restore Finnair flights,"" said Ullar Salumae, director of aviation division of Estonian Transport Administration. ""That allowed us to speed up the process as much as possible without compromising on safety. We have been dealing with a new problem arising from geopolitical tensions and we have reacted and found a solution for it."" It was reported by New Scientist that the GPS jamming incident was an attack by Russia. A NATO military official told New Scientist that the attacks have ""escalated significantly since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine"" in February 2022. DME devices send signals from the ground to the aircraft's onboard display, allowing pilots to pinpoints its location. DMEs have been used previously in Estonia, and last year the Estonian Air Navigation Services increased their number across Estonia to have better coverage.