US report says FAA must better address threats to aircraft communication

JETS•2026-09-21

Potential impact on flight operations

The report said hackers could transmit fraudulent clearance cancellations potentially leading to flight delays or safety issues.

Watchdog urges stronger FAA action on communication threats

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 (Reuters) - A government watchdog on Monday said the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration must take new steps to address threats to aircraft communication, including spoofing and jamming.

The Government Accountability Office said the FAA has not completed risk assessments and updated security documentation needed to address spoofing and jamming threats, and does not have a real-time detection capability for all spectrum-related threats.