GNSS

EASA and EUROCONTROL publish joint Action Plan

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and EUROCONTROL published a joint Action Plan designed to strengthen the safety and resilience of European aviation operations amid the growing challenge of GNSS interference.

Key Elements of the Joint Action Plan

Through joint monitoring and data-sharing, EASA and EUROCONTROL aim to establish a common, validated operational picture of GNSS interference events across Europe, enabling more accurate detection, reporting and situational awareness. Both the organisations will deepen their understanding of interference patterns, operational impacts and associated safety risks, with the aim of delivering consistent and harmonised guidance to air navigation service providers (ANSPs), airlines, and national authorities to ensure rapid and aligned responses to interference incidents.

Both the organisations will develop updated operational guidance for flight crews and air traffic controllers to help them manage disruptions effectively and maintain safe operations in degraded navigation environments and join forces and expertise for investigations into ongoing GNSS interference. Both will also promote improved mechanisms for timely information exchange through Member States, ensuring that events with both civil and military dimensions are addressed in a coordinated and transparent manner to minimise disruption and preserve airspace capacity. The Action Plan envisages close collaboration with A/C manufacturer and avionics industry to support the development of more robust, interferenceresilient avionics solutions over the longer term. It addresses the concerns expressed in a letter sent on June 6, 2025 by 13 EU Member States to the European Commission that called for immediate and coordinated European action to address the growing number of Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) events affecting GNSSbased systems. The Action Plan also integrates proposals and guidance from international partners including the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). www.easa.europa.eu

ESA’s Celeste broadcasts first navigation signal

On April, 8 ESA and industrial teams gathered at ESA’s Navigation Lab at ESTEC received the very first navigation signal from the Celeste mission. This is a historic first in the world of European PNT. Sent from Celeste IOD-1, the signal is the first dual-frequency navigation message in the L- and S-band, the first sent from a European satellite in low-Earth orbit. A transmission from the Celeste IOD-2 satellite will follow in the coming days.

Navigation signals sent from low Earth orbit benefit from more strength, new dynamics and additional ranging geometry. This makes them valuable to complement existing medium Earth orbit systems and improve overall resilience, robustness, availability, and timeliness, especially in demanding environments like deep urban areas.

This first achievement comes as part of the satellites’ commissioning and inorbit testing phase. Early April, days after their launch on March 28, the satellites completed their launch and early operations phase and were formally declared fit for life in orbit. The satellites are now ongoing checks to verify all vital subsystems, from propulsion to attitude and orbit control, are ready.

These signal transmissions are also contributing to bringing into use the required frequency filings in Land S-bands for future operational European LEO-PNT missions, together with meeting other regulatory and compatibility commitments in accordance with International Telecommunication Union regulations. www.esa.int