Securing the skies: Future-proofing aviation from GNSS to virtual operations

Report from the SESAR Innovation Days plenary panel

The future of European aviation relies increasingly on satellite-based navigation and digitalised, virtualised operations. But with new opportunities for performance, efficiency, and flexibility come vulnerabilities - from signal interference and GNSS jamming to emerging cyber threats. These challenges were at the centre of a plenary at the SESAR Innovation Days (SIDs), held on 4 December 2025 in Bled, Slovenia, which explored how the aviation ecosystem can build resilient, future-proof systems.

Moderated by Chrystelle Damar, External Affairs Officer at the SESAR JU, the panel included Andreas Lipp, GNSS Expert at EUROCONTROL; Tine Tomazic, Director of Engineering and Programs and Chief Technology Officer at Pipistrel; Jarosław Piełunowicz, Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Development, PANSA and Karin Bersnmed, Senior Research Scientist at SINTEF Digital and leader of the SESAR JU SEC-AIRSPACE project. Together, they explored the range of challenges and solutions related to GNSS resilience, cyber-secure operations, and the potential for virtual operations in ATM [Cross check onsite].

Opening the session, Ms Damar highlighted the "perfect storm" facing aviation: GNSS underpins critical functions for safety and efficiency, yet jamming and spoofing technologies are increasingly accessible, while conflict zones present heightened risks. At the same time, coordinated action across States and the aviation ecosystem creates an opportunity to strengthen resilience.

This echoes the European ATM Master Plan, which recognises GNSS vulnerabilities and emphasises the need for resilience, civil-military cooperation, and diversified navigation and surveillance solutions, including multi-sensor systems and alternative PNT technologies, to maintain safe and efficient operations. The Plan also supports research, innovation, and modernised CNS infrastructure to ensure European airspace remains flexible, secure, and future-ready.'

Mr Lipp, EUROCONTROL, highlighted that GNSS interference has existed for years, often as isolated and unintentional incidents. However, the current landscape reveals a shift toward state-sponsored threats at higher altitudes, exposing systemic vulnerabilities in aviation. He discussed the potential of cryptographic techniques, which are not traditionally used in aviation, noting that key management often requires multi-factor authentication-unlike aviation's independent navigation systems. He emphasised the need for a medium-term solution to ensure all stakeholders share the same risk picture. While tools like Flightradar24 provide real-time awareness, this information is not yet fully integrated into cockpit and air traffic control systems. Addressing this gap would allow aviation to leverage redundancies between technologies, creating a critical link between short-term situational awareness and long-term mitigation measures.

Offering an operational perspective, Mr Piełunowicz, PANSA, said that the impact on Polish airspace is escalating daily. He agreed that situational awareness is paramount, requiring reliable tools to detect issues and adapt effectively, while conventional infrastructure remains a fallback. SESAR's research supports these efforts, emphasising GNSS signal monitoring, multi-sensor tracking, alternative PNT systems, and terrestrial links like LDACS. He also emphasised that civil-military cooperation, controller training, national preparedness, and transparent information-sharing are critical to mitigating risks.

Resilience needs to be integrated at a very early stage, stressed Mr Tomazic, Pipistrel, whoexplained how GNSS vulnerabilities are considered during aircraft design. He described how electric aircraft avionics are being developed to integrate resilience against signal interference, ensuring that aircraft systems remain operational and future-proofed in an environment where GNSS disruptions are increasing. According to Mr. Tomažič, risks become more pronounced as technology proliferates, necessitating a proactive approach to threat assessment. He advocated for diverse technology-based navigation solutions, and looking to other industries for inspiration including acoustic and visual-based systems, to minimise reliance on any single technology. He stressed the urgency of implementing these innovations swiftly to stay ahead of emerging challenges.

In her intervention Ms Bersnmed, SINTEF Digital, highlighted parallels between risk assessment and mitigation approaches in cybersecurity and those required to address GNSS vulnerabilities, emphasising the value of structured risk management in building future-proof systems. She described the work of SEC AIRSPACE, which is developing and validating an advanced web-based tool, the SecRAM Navigator,which systematically identifies, analyse, and mitigate cyber risks.

The panel further explored enabling conditions for resilient operations, including regulatory frameworks, operational practices, and technical tools, while emphasising the importance of collaboration across civil and military authorities at the European level. Multi-frequency and multi-constellation GNSS reception, quantum sensing, cryptographic authentication, multi-sensor navigation systems, and virtual operations were discussed as essential components for enhancing European ATM efficiency, flexibility, and security.

In conclusion, panellists highlighted that building a future-proofed aviation system requires a holistic approach, combining research, policy, collaboration, and operational insight - fully aligned with the European ATM Master Plan, which outlines the need to address cyber vulnerabilities and ensure resilient, future-ready systems.

More about the SESAR Innovation Days 2025