India issued a fresh Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) on November 13, alerting pilots and airlines about possible GPS signal problems in the airspace near Mumbai from November 13 to 17. The alert warns that aircraft may face issues with satellite-based navigation while flying through these routes.

This comes after a similar NOTAM was issued earlier between October 30 and November 10, around the time India was preparing for Exercise Trishul, a large military drill involving all three armed forces.

Defence analyst Damien Symon drew attention to the new alert on social media.
He wrote: “India issues a NOTAM warning aircraft of GPS interference/loss around air traffic routes within its airspace near Mumbai. This follows reports of similar interference observed around New Delhi.”

Officials said airline crews have been informed in advance so they can take safety precautions while flying.

Military drills near Pakistan border

The earlier NOTAM was linked to Exercise Trishul, a major tri-services drill held between October 30 and November 10 near the Sir Creek region.

This marshy stretch, about 96 km long, is located between Gujarat in India and Sindh in Pakistan, and opens into the Arabian Sea.

 It is considered an important and sensitive area for both countries.

For the exercise, India set aside 28,000 feet of airspace for military movements.

Around the same time, Pakistan also placed airspace restrictions between October 28 and 29, which drew attention ahead of the drills.

What is a NOTAM?

A NOTAM is an important message shared with pilots and airlines.

According to the Airports Authority of India, NOTAMs are “notices distributed by means of telecommunication containing information concerning the establishment, condition or change in any aeronautical facility, service, procedure or hazard, the timely knowledge of which is essential to personnel concerned with flight operations.”

In simple terms, a NOTAM tells pilots about anything unusual or risky in the sky or at airports so they can fly safely.