DOHA — A Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER flying from Doha to Seattle experienced a persistent loss of global positioning system (GPS) signals on both flight deck displays following a suspected interference event over Iraqi airspace on Tuesday.
Flight QR719 departed Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Doha at approximately 8:00 AM AST on Tuesday, October 20, bound for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
About an hour into the 14-plus-hour journey, while cruising at an altitude of 32,000 feet over Iraq, pilots operating the aircraft (registration A7-BAO) reported that the GPS signals disappeared on both primary flight display systems.
In-Flight Troubleshooting Across Europe
Despite standard onboard procedures to reset or reacquire navigation satellite signals, the GPS displays failed to recover as the twin-engine widebody jet progressed along its polar route toward North America.
Four hours after the initial signal loss, while transiting European airspace over Poland, the flight crew contacted Qatar Airways’ Flight Operations Center in Doha to request technical assistance and report that navigation primary displays remained affected.
Because modern commercial jetliners like the Boeing 777-300ER rely on multi-layered redundant navigation systems including Inertial Reference Units (IRUs) and conventional ground-based radio navigation aids (VOR/DME), the aircraft was able to continue safely on its flight plan despite the unrecovered satellite navigation data.
Flight Timeline (UTC / Local Times)
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08:00 AM AST | Departure from Hamad Intl Airport (DOH), Doha
09:00 AM AST | Loss of GPS signal reported on both displays at FL320 over Iraq
01:00 PM AST | Crew contacts Operations Center over Poland (GPS unrecovered)
12:40 PM PDT | Safe landing at Seattle-Tacoma Intl Airport (SEA)
Safe Arrival in Seattle
Flight QR719 safely touched down at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Tuesday, October 20, at 12:40 PM PDT, completing the long-haul journey in just over 14 hours. No emergencies were declared, and passengers landed without further incident.
Aviation safety experts note that GPS jamming and spoofing incidents have increased noticeably over parts of the Middle East and Eastern Europe in recent years, prompting international aviation regulators to issue ongoing advisories for flight crews operating in affected flight information regions (FIRs).
Neither Qatar Airways nor civil aviation authorities have released a formal statement regarding the specific cause of the signal loss on registration A7-BAO, though maintenance teams are expected to inspect the avionics systems prior to the aircraft’s return service.
