Opinion: Reliable GPS is coming to an end – but new quantum technologies could show the path forward

GPS denial is becoming routine amid rampant geopolitical tensions. — Getty Images/The New York Times

When two Finnair planes flying into Estonia recently had to divert in quick succession and return to Helsinki, the cause wasn’t a mechanical failure or inclement weather – it was GPS denial.

GPS denial is the deliberate interference of the navigation signals used and relied on by commercial aircraft. It’s not a new phenomenon: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has long provided maps of regions where GPS was routinely unavailable or untrusted.