SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — Qantas pilots reported repeating radio interference and GPS jamming from Chinese military units in the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea. Qantas said there were no safety concerns and has instructed its pilots to keep flying on their routes despite the breach.


According to the airline, some planes have encountered interference on VHF channels believed to be associated with the Chinese military, as well as GPS jamming from ships near the northwest shelf of Australia.

In response to reports of interference from warships, Qantas said that no safety issues had been observed and pilots should report any incidents to air traffic control. This followed a statement from the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) confirming the interference and instructing pilots not to respond to any communication from the warships.

In some cases, Chinese Military warships in the Pacific region have reportedly called on aircraft over radio frequencies 121.50 or 123.45 and provided them with vectors to avoid flying over them. According to the pilot reports, the interferences repeatedly happened, especially in the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea.

“We are engaging with IATA and air navigation service providers (ANSPs) to ensure that all parties are aligned with our procedures and to prevent this from occurring in the future,” IFALPA said in a recent statement.

Tony Lucas, President of the Australian and International Pilots Association and Qantas captain, has stated that pilots are familiar with the communication protocols and have the necessary skills to handle the situation.

VHF is often available as an open source. Although there may be some interference with international security and emergency channels, it is not as serious as the jamming of GPS systems. But GPS is widely used in aviation and everyday technology, so jamming of these navigational tools must be taken seriously as it is a more severe threat than VHF interference.