In an unsettling trend, many flights around the world are running into a dangerous problem called GPS spoofing. This issue is raising alarms among pilots, airline officials, and air safety experts. GPS spoofing involves sending fake signals that trick aircraft systems into believing they are in a different location or altitude. This can lead to serious confusion in the cockpit, putting pilots and passengers at risk.

A Close Call in the Cockpit

Captain Dan Carey, who flies a Boeing 777 for American Airlines, experienced this firsthand. While flying over Pakistan, an alarm suddenly blared, warning him to “pull up!” even though he was cruising safely at 32,000 feet. Thankfully, this warning was false, a result of GPS spoofing. But it made him think about what could happen if a real emergency occurred at the same time. The situation could have turned dangerous quickly.

Rising Incidents of GPS Spoofing

According to experts, the number of flights affected by GPS spoofing has...