Airbus reminds pilots what to do when GNSS interference hits

Airbus is providing safety information to all pilots, not just those of the new BelugaXL. (Photo: Airbus)

Commercial airline pilots should be ready if their GNSS interference or jamming takes place. This safety message, along with steps to take, was provided by Airbus in the January issue of its publication “Safety First.”

In the publication, Airbus is reminding pilots of the consequences and required action in the cockpit, according to Aviation Week. Loss of the GNSS signal can affect navigation and surveillance functions. While built-in redundancies will maintain position computation, up to a dozen systems and functions can be affected.

Cover: Airbus

“A loss of GNSS inputs does not lead to a map shift or an erroneous position computation by the FMS (Flight Management System). In the case of a loss of GPS signal, the FMS switches from the mixed GPS/IRS position to an IRS-DME/DME position or IRS-VOR/DME or pure IRS, in order of priority,” the experts explain in the publication.

Other affected systems can include the predictive functions of the terrain awareness and warning system, the runway overrun protection system, and ADS-B Out, in which case pilots should notify air traffic control.

Once the flight is over, pilots should report the GNSS interference event to air navigation service providers.