Finnair successfully lands in Estonia after GPS issue is resolved.
Finnair flights have resumed after a five-week hiatus due to GPS satellite navigation issues in Estonia. Finnair planned and executed upgrades in Tartu to ensure safe landings. Recently, a Finnair flight carried passengers from Helsinki to Tartu, only to return with 57 people headed for Finland. The resumption of the connection has been hailed by the mayor of Tartu, Urmas Klaas, as crucial to the city and its regional environs, comprising universities, a hospital, and economy. With Tartu designated as the European Capital of Culture in 2024, the importance of this flight route intensifies.
Faxair had halted the Tartu-Helsinki route in late April, after two planes had to deviate from their intended path due to GPS disruptions, making landings impossible. Tartu is one of the minority airports necessitating a GPS connection for safe landings. Now, in addition to using GPS, Tartu's infrastructure is equipped to use ground-based signals for improved safety.
The Finnair flight from Helsinki to Tartu on June 5 brought 26 people to Tartu and returned with 57 on the way back, signifying a renewed link. "We're so glad that we've overcome this issue and that the flight connection has been reinstated," stated Tartu's leader, Urmas Klaas. "This flight connection is essential for Tartu and Southeast Estonia. We have twelve universities, a university hospital, and a flourishing economy, all of which rely on such services."
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna expressed his belief the GPS disruptions originated with neighboring Russia, who may have sought to perpetrate a "hybrid attack." The Tartu mayor, Klaas reiterated these sentiments, commenting: "Russia's goal is to hinder our everyday lives and diminish our sense of security."
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The issue with Finnair's GPS navigation systems in Estonia was initially suspected to have originated from neighboring Russia. Despite the challenges, Finland's Tartu airport now supports both GPS and ground-based navigation systems for improved flight safety, ensuring smooth operations for Finnair flights, such as the one from Helsinki to Tartu, which passed through the Baltic Sea, touching nearby countries like Finland and Estonia.
