U.S. airlines and cargo carriers on Monday warned that the new 5G wireless service set to deploy Wednesday could ground flights. In a letter to administration officials, executives of major carriers wrote that C-band 5G causes disruptions to airplanes’ instruments that could make “huge swaths” of the U.S. fleet unusable. They noted that by Wednesday’s deadline, most of the nation’s large airports will be under 5G-related flight restrictions from the FAA.
“This means that on a day like [Sunday], more than 1,100 flights and 100,000 passengers would be subjected to cancellations, diversions or delays,” chief executives of Delta Airlines, United Airlines, FedEx, UPS and others wrote in the letter, according to The Hill.
The executives urged U.S. officials to prevent 5G from being implemented within two miles of affected airports until the FAA figures out a way for affected airplanes to fly safely or risk a “catastrophic disruption” to passenger flights and the global supply chain. They said “Immediate intervention” is needed in a letter to White House National Economic Council Director Brian Deese, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson and FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
Airlines for America, the group that organized the letter, declined to comment to Reuters. The government agencies did not immediately comment.
The letter came a day after the FAA said it’s cleared about 45 percent of the U.S. commercial airplane fleet to perform low-visibility landings at many airports where 5G C-band is set to be deployed starting Wednesday. The FAA and others in the aviation industry have warned that 5G transmissions could potentially interfere with airplane instruments such as radio altimeters and make an impact on low-visibility operations.
AT&T and Verizon have twice delayed their 5G operations on the spectrum they paid more than a combined $80 billion for at auction to give the aviation industry time to determine the extent of the potential problem and develop solutions. The carriers, and CTIA, have said 40 other countries use C-band for 5G with no interference to aircraft.
However, U.S. passenger and cargo airlines have been telling senior government officials the issue is far from resolved and could severely impact flights and the supply chain, notes Reuters. “Even with the approvals granted by the FAA today, U.S. airlines will not be able to operate the vast majority of passenger and cargo flights due to the FAA’s 5G-related flight restrictions unless action is taken prior to the planned January 19 rollout,” said Airlines for America, a trade group representing American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Fedex, and other carriers.
The FAA approved two radio altimeter models it says are used in many Boeing and Airbus planes and it expects to issue more approvals in the coming days. The FAA said the aircraft and altimeter approvals open “runways at as many as 48 of the 88 airports most directly affected by 5G C-band interference.” But the agency warned that “even with these new approvals, flights at some airports may still be affected.”
Reuters reviewed the 36-page list of the runways covered by the approvals that has not yet been made public – and it does not include many larger U.S. airports.
AT&T and Verizon on January 3 agreed to buffer zones around 50 airports to reduce interference risks and take other steps to reduce potential interference for six months, Inside Towers reported. They also agreed to delay deployment an additional two weeks, after a month-long initial delay. On January 7, the FAA disclosed the 50 U.S. airports that will have 5G buffer zones, including in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Detroit, Dallas, Philadelphia, Seattle and Miami.
On Thursday, Airports Council International – North America urged another delay of 5G implementation to avoid widespread disruption across the U.S air transportation system, according to Reuters. The trade association was not happy with the January 7 deal between the aviation industry and the telecoms. “This so-called fix will create winners and losers within the airport community, and the entire aviation system will suffer under the terms of this deal,” Airports Council International – North America CEO Kevin Burke said at the time, reported PhocusWire.
Airports Council International – North America supported an earlier call for an additional delay filed at the FCC December 30, by Airlines for America. However, Inside Towers research shows that Airlines for America withdrew the request for a stay of the FCC’s C-band rules once the January agreement between the FAA, FCC, carriers and the aviation industry came to pass.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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