As tensions grow among superpowers around the world, airlines find themselves caught in the middle of various situations, forcing them to adapt. The latest case involves Australian carrier Qantas and its flights in the Asia-Pacific region. Flights operated by the airline have been experiencing radio interference and GPS jamming - disruptions that pilots have been instructed to fly through.

Standing orders

According to news.com.au, some Qantas aircraft have been experiencing radio interference and GPS jamming. This disruption is reportedly the result of Chinese military vessels located “off the north-west shelf of Australia”.

In standing orders issued to pilots on Thursday, March 16th, Qantas has instructed flight crews to fly through radio interference and GPS jamming. The same orders have noted that interference experienced thus far has yet to cause any safety issues, although pilots are requested to report any incidents to air traffic control.

Commenting on the abilities of Australian pilots to handle such disruptions, Australian and International Pilots Association president, and Qantas captain, Tony Lucas told The Guardian,

“Qantas Group pilots are well-trained and remain ready to manage these sorts of issues safely in accordance with defined procedures.”

The "north-west shelf" of Australia is a busy corridor for the airline and a pathway to destinations in Indonesia, Singapore, and India. As can be seen in the image above, Singapore is one of the more popular destinations, with Qantas flying to the city-state from four Australian cities.

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Instructed to ignore communications

This recent news of Chinese military interference comes after the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) issued a statement confirming such interference. The association has told pilots to ignore any communications coming from the unfriendly foreign warships - even those that provide vectors to avoid airspace around the ships. IFALPA notes that some jets have already experienced calls from military vessels in the Asia Pacific region, specifically naming the South China Sea and Philippine Sea.

“IFALPA has been made aware of some airlines and military aircraft being called over [radio frequencies] 121.50 or 123.45 by military warships in the Pacific region,” -IFALPA statement via The Guardian

According to news.com.au, IFALPA says that has reason to believe Global Navigation Satellite Systems and Radio Altimeter systems have been subject to interference as well.

A tense region

Tensions are high in the Asia-Pacific region as China asserts territorial claims around the South China Sea - claims that overlap or compete with nations such as Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Sovereignty over such waters is extremely lucrative as the area is estimated to hold billions of barrels of natural gas reserves.

At this point, aviation consultant Neil Hansford tells the Guardian that the actions of Chinese military vessels with regard to VHF channels are more of an annoyance than a real risk to safety. Hansford notes, however, that GPS jamming is much more of a threat.

What do you think of this antagonistic activity? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

Sources: FlightRadar24.com, The Guardian, news.com.au

• 

  Qantas

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  QF/QFA

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Brisbane Airport, Melbourne Airport, Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport

  Year Founded:

  1920

  Alliance:

  oneworld

  CEO:

  Alan Joyce

  Country:

  Australia