The bosses of the largest American airlines warn against the use of the new 5G mobile communications near airports. In a letter to the authorities, they demand immediate action.
The airline American Airlines also warns of problems caused by 5G.
In a letter, the heads of the major American airlines call on the authorities to intervene immediately to prevent significant disruption to flight operations.
On Wednesday, the new 5G mobile communications standard in the USA is to be put into operation nationwide. The providers AT&T and Verizon will then provide the 5G service.
The American aviation industry had been warning of the dangers to air traffic from interference between the aircraft’s technical systems and 5G transmitters for months. Airlines fear the antennas could interfere with planes approaching for landing, specifically affecting the vital radio altimeter on the plane. The new C-band 5G service could render a significant number of wide-body aircraft unusable and potentially lead to chaos in the United States, the airlines argue.
Are planes grounded?
“If we are unable to clear our main hubs for flight due to possible disruptions, the vast majority of passengers and goods will be grounded,” write the CEOs of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and other airlines . Trade will also partially come to a standstill, according to the letter, which is also signed by the freight giants FedEx and UPS. Airlines are considering canceling some international flights operating in the United States on Wednesday.
The letter went to Brian Deese, director of President Biden’s National Economic Council, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, FAA chief Steve Dickson and Jessica Rosenworcel, chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
AT&T and Verizon, which won nearly all C-band spectrum in an $80 billion auction last year, agreed in January 2022 to establish buffer zones around 50 airports to reduce the risk of interference, and more Take steps to reduce potential interference for six months. The two mobile operators declined to comment on the letter. They argue that 5G C-band will be successfully deployed in 40 other countries without problems with flight disruptions.
No problems in Europe
The problem appears to be an American one. The European aviation safety authority EASA announced weeks ago that there are no known disruptions to flight operations caused by 5G in Europe. Measurements in France and Norway would have confirmed this. The cause of the American problems could be that the allocated frequency band for 5G is much closer to the bandwidth of the frequencies used by the aviation industry. In Europe, on the other hand, 5G mobile communications are keeping a greater distance.
With agency details.