Erko Kulu, head of the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority's (TTJA) frequency management division, said the disruptions are detectable at higher altitudes in Estonian airspace and may affect aircraft positioning. They have little impact on daily life on the ground.

He said: "The impact is generally not noticeable on regular mobile phones or, for example, in-car navigation systems used on the ground. However, effects can be noticeable when flying a drone near the eastern border. Elsewhere in central and eastern Estonia, this does not affect drone flights."

Mihkel Haug, board member of the Estonian Air Navigation Services (Eesti lennuliiklusteenindus), also said the disruptions do not pose a direct threat.

His authority has become accustomed to the jamming, though it adds pressure for air traffic controllers.

Haug said: "We have improved procedures and equipment, and we can keep the skies safe and secure. The biggest impact is still on the aircraft itself. We become aware of the effect through the pilots and instruments. When they report any anomalies, this means our air traffic controllers have to give more instructions."
On the frequency of such disruptions, Kulu said: "Despite these fluctuations, it can be said that the disruptions are daily and they originate from across the national border — namely the St. Petersburg region."

The TTJA received 307 official reports of disruptions in 2024, of which 85 percent (261 reports) related to GPS systems.

Russia is most likely using radio jammers to protect sensitive sites like military installations, Haug noted, adding: "All of Eastern Europe and areas around conflict zones are dealing with this issue."

This increases pressure on relying solely on GPS for navigation, he added. Since this technology is still relatively new, there are viable alternatives to rely on.

"Whereas we once took GPS as a daily given, we can no longer be so sure of that. Fortunately, there was a time before GPS, and people still remember the procedures and the equipment that ensure safety and navigational capability," he went on.

Kulu said interference intensity has varied over time. Conditions like weather may also influence its extent.

UN agencies the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recently sent a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighting the rise in GPS disruptions and their associated negative impacts.

Kulu said that according to the ITU's charter: "Creating such interference is prohibited. Both Estonia and the Russian Federation are members of the ITU."

GPS jamming takes place when strong radio signals interfere with GPS satellites, stopping a receiver from accurately figuring out its location or time.

Almost a year ago, in late April 2024, two Finnair flights to Tartu were forced to return to Helsinki after GPS interference prevented landing. Finnair later suspended daily flights to Tartu while a solution was found.

That solution, ground-based Distance Measuring Equipment (DME), allows crews with compatible equipment and procedures to use it for navigation. Finnair resumed its Tartu flights in mid-May.

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