Finnair Adapts Pilot Training Amid Daily Baltic GPS Interference

Finnair has changed its pilot training and flight operations to deal with daily GPS interference in the Baltic region, CEO Turkka Kuusisto told Reuters. The airline says pilots are trained to operate safely in airspace affected by satellite-navigation disruptions.

GPS interference has intensified across the Baltic region as European airlines operate closer to NATO’s eastern flank following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Finnair has stopped flying over Russia and Belarus, increasing its exposure to the Baltic area, where satellite navigation signals have faced frequent disruption.

Finnair previously suspended flights to Tartu, Estonia, for about a month in 2024 after GPS interference affected safe approaches. Modern aircraft can use multiple backup navigation systems, but Finnair says the growing scale of interference has attracted interest from airlines in regions where such disruptions are less common.

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