The Finnish airline Finnair is to temporarily suspend its flights from Helsinki to Tartu in Estonia, due to ongoing disruptions to GPS satellite navigation.
Tartu is the second largest city in the Baltic EU and NATO country, which borders Russia. The daily service to its airport will be suspended until May 31st so that a solution can be found that does not require a GPS signal on landing, the airline announced on Monday.
Two Finnair flights had to be diverted at the end of last week after GPS interference had prevented them from approaching Tartu.
Estonia has recently observed an increase in targeted disruptions to GPS satellite navigation.
The authorities of the Baltic Sea state say the GPS signal interference is being transmitted from Russian's territory, and the problem has worsened since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna described the incidents as a "hybrid attack" by Russia. They jeopardised the people and security of Estonia, he told the Financial Times newspaper.
Finnair says its pilots have also reported an increase in GPS problems since 2022 - particularly in the vicinity of Kaliningrad, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and the eastern Mediterranean.
They do not normally affect the flight route or flight safety, as pilots are aware of the problems and aircraft have alternative navigation systems.
However, a GPS signal is currently required for the approach to Tartu. Flights therefore had to be suspended as a precautionary measure due to the disruption, the airline's statement continued.
Finnair says it is the only airline to offer international flights to Tartu. The connection was resumed at the end of March for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic. Tartu is the European Capital of Culture 2024.
