UPDATE Two U.S. senators asked U.S. officials to specify which airlines are at risk of not meeting deadlines to retrofit planes to avoid potential 5G wireless interference. Inside Towers reported that foreign airlines told the FAA they can’t meet the proposed June 2023 deadline to retrofit radio altimeters to withstand possible 5G interference and that some U.S. airlines are echoing that sentiment.
Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) cited news reports that said many airlines will be unable to meet looming U.S. deadlines after the world’s biggest airline trade body, International Air Transport Association (IATA), warned the issue could impact the summer international travel season.
“We are concerned that airlines that do not meet the retrofit deadlines could negatively impact consumers – both due to flight cancellations or delays and by impeding access to needed connectivity,” the senators wrote to acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. They seek details on which specific airlines could be impacted, notes Reuters.
“We have identified a risk to the [national airspace] — one that must be addressed,” Nolen told Blackburn at a hearing last week, according to Reuters. “We believe we have given the right amount of time to do that and so we have no plans at this point to change the timing.”
IATA Director General Willie Walsh said, “many operators will not make the proposed July 2023 retrofit deadline owing to supply chain issues, certification delays, and unavoidable logistical challenges.”
In January, the FAA proposed requiring passenger and cargo aircraft in the United States to have 5G C-band-tolerant radio altimeters or approved filters by early 2024. Airplane altimeters give data on a plane’s height above the ground and are crucial for bad-weather landing.
Concerns 5G service could interfere with altimeters led to disruptions at some U.S. airports last year involving international carriers. Last June, Verizon and AT&T voluntarily agreed to delay some C-band 5G use until July 1 as air carriers work to retrofit airplanes to ensure that they will not face interference.
Inside Towers reported that CTIA, which counts AT&T and Verizon as members, said the FAA provided ample time for airlines and should not extend the deadlines. “By requiring accountability, the FAA is taking important steps to ensure radio altimeter performance is more resilient while enabling timely C-Band 5G deployment,” CTIA stated, Reuters reported.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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