Airline passengers who have endured tens of thousands of weather-related flight delays this week could face a new source of disruption starting Saturday, as wireless carriers is expected to power new 5G systems near major airports.
Aviation groups have warned for years that 5G signals can interfere with aircraft equipment, especially those that use radio waves to measure distances on the ground, and crucial equipment when flying. Landing in low visibility conditions.
Predictions that interference would cause mass flight landings failed to materialize last year, when telecom companies began rolling out the new service. They then agreed to limit signal strength around busy airports, giving airlines an extra year to upgrade their planes.
The leader of the nation’s largest pilots union says crews will be able to handle the impact of 5G, but he criticized the way the wireless license is issued, saying it has added unnecessary risk to the industry. air.
Transport Minister Pete Buttigieg recently told airlines that Flights may be disrupted because a small portion of the nation’s fleet has not been upgraded to protect against radio interference.
Most major US airlines say they are ready. American, Southwest, alaska, border And unified says all its planes have an altimeter, called a radio altimeter, which is protected against 5G interference.
The big exception is Delta Airlines. Delta says it has 190 aircraft, including most smaller aircraft, that still lack upgraded altimeters because its supplier can’t deliver it quickly enough.
The airline is expected to cancel any flights because of the issue, Delta said Friday. The airline plans to carefully route 190 planes to limit the risk of cancellations or forcing planes to be diverted away from airports with limited visibility due to fog or low clouds.
Delta aircraft that have not been retrofitted include several Airbus jet models: all of the A220s, most of its A319 and A320 aircraft, and some of the airline’s A321 aircraft. The airline’s Boeing jets have upgraded altimeters, as have all Delta Connection planes, operated by Endeavor Air, Republic Airways and SkyWest Airlines, the airline said.
JetBlue did not respond to requests for comment but told The Wall Street Journal it expects to retrofit 17 smaller Airbus jets by October, with “limited impact” likely. out in a few days in Boston.
Wireless service providers include Verizon And AT&T use part of the radio spectrum called the C-Band, close to the frequency used by radio altimeters, for their new 5G service. The Federal Communications Commission has granted them a license to use the C-Band spectrum and remove any risk of interference, and says there is a lot of buffer between the C-Band and the altimeter frequency.
When the Federal Aviation Administration sided with the airlines and protested, wireless companies have pushed back the rollout of their new service. In a compromise brokered by the Biden administration, wireless carriers later agreed not to power 5G signals near about 50 busy airports. That postponement ends on Saturday.
AT&T declined to comment. Verizon did not immediately respond to questions about its plans.
Buttigieg reminded the head of trade group Airlines for America of the deadline in a letter last week, warning that only planes with retrofitted altimeters would be allowed to land in low-range conditions. look low. He said more than 80% of the US fleet has been retrofitted, but a significant number of aircraft, including many operated by foreign airlines, have not been upgraded.
“This means that on bad weather days, especially on low visibility days, there can be increased delays and cancellations,” Buttigieg wrote. He said airlines with planes awaiting retrofit should adjust their schedules to avoid stranded passengers.
Airlines say the FAA has been slow to approve standards for radio altimeter upgrades and supply chain problems have made it difficult for manufacturers to produce enough equipment. Nicholas Calio, the head of Airlines for America, complained about the rush to modify the plane “amid pressure from telecommunications companies.”
Jason Ambrosi, a Delta pilot and president of the Airline Pilots Association, accused the FCC of issuing 5G licenses without consulting airline interests, which he said “has caused the world’s safest aviation system is at increased risk.” However, he said, “Ultimately, we will be able to address the impacts of 5G.”
