Qantas pilots told to fly through radio interference reportedly coming from Chinese warships

Qantas has told pilots to fly through radio interference and GPS jamming reportedly coming from Chinese warships in Asia Pacific. In standing orders issued to pilots, Qantas says that some aircraft have experienced interference on VHF channels “purporting to represent the Chinese military” and GPS jamming from ships “off the north-west shelf of Australia”. But the orders added that the interference had not caused any safety problems and that pilots should report any incidents to air traffic control. It comes after the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) issued a statement confirming the interference, and warning pilots not to respond to any of the communication coming from the warships. They say they are aware that some aircrafts have been called on particular platforms by military warships in the Pacific region, notably the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea. They also added that in some cases, flights were provided with vectors to avoid using the airspace over the warship. “IFALPA has been made aware of some airlines and military aircraft being called over [radio frequencies] 121.50 or 123.45 by military warships in the Pacific region,” the statement read. “IFALPA is 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.” The Australian and International Pilots Association president, and Qantas captain, Tony Lucas said that pilots were aware of the communication, and were well equipped to deal with them. “Our members are aware of recent reported communication and electronic interference.”<br/>