Flightradar24 uses MLAT to counter GPS jamming

How does GPS jamming affect a flight?

On a recent flight from Warsaw to Paris, a Wizz Air A321neo was subject to GPS spoofing, which means the aircraft’s GPS receiver was led to believe it was somewhere it was not. In this case, the position reported put the aircraft inside Kaliningrad at the start of the flight. The map below shows the inaccurate ADS-B positions from the aircraft’s transponder in purple and the Flightradar24-calculated MLAT positions showing the aircraft’s actual path in green.

In some cases, when an aircraft encounters GPS interference, the transponder may not recover for the duration of the flight even after the GPS signal has normalized.

Countering GPS jamming with MLAT

By calculating MLAT positions for all flights, Flightradar24 is able to counter the effects of GPS interference in real time and show a more correct path for an aircraft. We recently completed a major update to our MLAT calculations, allowing us to calculate MLAT positions using just three receivers. Previously, four receivers were necessary to calculate positions. This improvement has allowed us to increase the area in which we are able to show MLAT positions, including some of the areas of the world experiencing the greatest amount of GPS jamming and spoofing.

Because of how MLAT positions are calculated, they are not as precise as GPS derived positions. However, as a counter to wild deviations caused by GPS spoofing or jamming, they have become an extremely useful tool for showing accurate flight paths. In May 2025, 7% of flights that are normally tracked via ADS-B were tracked with MLAT due to GPS interference.

Unfortunately, Flightradar24 is not yet able to counter all instances of GPS jamming and spoofing. In order to show MLAT positions, we need to be able to track the aircraft with three receivers simultaneously. In certain areas, that is not yet possible. In June 2025, during the Iran-Israel war, GPS spoofing erroneously put aircraft above Iran. Seeing multiple aircraft completing perfect circles in the same position is one of the most common signs of GPS spoofing.

How does GPS jamming affect the pilots?

While GPS jamming and spoofing can impact the position of the aircraft on Flightradar24, it can also impact the systems on board the aircraft. Modern commercial aircraft are built with multiple redundant navigational methods that allow them to safely operate during GPS interference, but some systems that rely on GPS may become inoperative during a flight. We’ve previously documented that on a flight with SAS between Copenhagen and Bangkok aboard the airline’s Airbus A350.

All signs point to the continued rise of GPS jamming and spoofing, so aerospace companies are in the process of making receivers that are capable of operating normally in spite of interference. Certification and installation may be years away for those devices. In the meantime, we’ll calculate MLAT positions where we are able to show the most accurate position as possible.