Von der Leyen's Plane Experiences GPS Disruption During Bulgarian Landing

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's aircraft experienced a loss of GPS navigation services while approaching Plovdiv Airport in Bulgaria on Sunday. The disruption forced the pilot to circle the airport for nearly an hour before executing a manual landing using paper maps. Bulgarian air traffic authorities confirmed the incident, noting a significant increase in GPS jamming and spoofing occurrences since February 2022. These interferences disrupt the accurate reception of GPS signals, leading to various operational challenges for aircraft and ground systems. Von der Leyen was en route from Warsaw to meet Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and visit an ammunition factory. After the visit, she departed Plovdiv without further incident.