Watchdog Finds FAA Aircraft Communications Vulnerable to Spoofing and Jamming

A government watchdog report has found that communications between US air traffic controllers and commercial aircraft remain highly vulnerable to interception, impersonation and jamming, according to Senator Ron Wyden.

The Government Accountability Office said the Federal Aviation Administration has not completed the risk assessments and updated security documentation needed to counter spoofing and jamming threats. It also lacks a real-time detection capability for all spectrum-related threats.

Wyden described the findings as sobering, saying the technology used by controllers to communicate with aircraft is incredibly insecure and can be exploited by hackers and foreign governments to disrupt air travel and put passengers at risk.

The report warned that hackers could send fraudulent clearance cancellations or other messages to airplanes, potentially causing flight delays, airspace disruptions or safety issues. Wyden added that the FAA's failure to require the aviation industry to use secure communications poses a major threat to US national security, the economy and the safety of the flying public.

Two systems used to send messages to aircraft were developed before modern cybersecurity safeguards became commonplace and lack common encryption protections.

In response to the report, the FAA said it agreed with all nine of the GAO's recommendations. The agency noted that as aircraft and flight operations become more interconnected, cyber and electromagnetic vulnerabilities pose increasing risks to critical systems, including air traffic control, data communications and avionics.

Spoofing and jamming have become a significant concern in Europe for critical satellite navigation systems. Estonia and neighbouring Finland have blamed Russia for jamming GPS navigation devices in the region's airspace, allegations Moscow has denied. One incident in 2025 involved a Spanish military jet carrying the country's defence minister.