European Space Weather Week 2025

From the Sun to the Runway: How the October 10, 2024, Geomagnetic Storm Disrupted GNSS-Based Augmentation Services in Europe

Oct 30, 2025, 11:30 AM

15m

Tonsalen

Oral SWR2 - Interdisciplinary Insights into Space Weather Events of Solar Cycle 25: From Solar Origins to Planetary Impacts SWR2 – Interdisciplinary Insights into Space Weather Events of Solar Cycle 25: From Solar Origins to Planetary Impacts

Speaker

Manuel Flores-Soriano (Universidad de Alcalá, Space Weather Group)

Description

During the geomagnetic storm of October 10, 2024, GNSS-based augmentation services such as EGNOS APV-I (Approach with Vertical Guidance) and LPV (Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance) were reported to experience a significant disruption. These services were unavailable for nearly one hour over southern Iberia and showed reduced availability across other parts of Europe. This reduction in service availability may have affected the feasibility of satellite-based precision approach procedures at certain airports, highlighting the potential vulnerability of aviation operations to space weather events. In this study, we present a comprehensive analysis of the sequence of events that led to this degradation. We trace the origin of the disturbance from solar activity precursors and their propagation through the interplanetary medium, to their impact on Earth's geomagnetic field. Furthermore, we examine how the resulting perturbations affected GNSS signal integrity and continuity, ultimately leading to the interruption of critical navigation services.