Chief Executives of Major US Airlines Warn About Aviation Crisis as 5G Service Gets Deployed

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 18 January 2022, 01:01 pm

On Jan. 17, chief executives of several passenger and cargo carriers in the United States warned the public of an impending aviation crisis after AT&T and Verizon announced deploying the new 5G service.

Chief Executives of Carriers on Aviation Crisis

The airlines in the United States warned that the new C-Band 5G service that is scheduled to launch on Jan. 19 could cause issues with several aircraft and make them unusable. This could even strand thousands of passengers overseas while causing problems for flights in the country.

The chief executives of American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and others wrote in a letter that unless the major hubs are cleared to fly, the majority of the shipping and traveling public will be grounded.

According to Reuters, the Federal Aviation Administration or the FAA has warned that interference could affect all instruments in an airplane that is too sensitive, like the altimeters and the low-visibility operations.

Also Read: FAA: 5G Signal Could Interfere Airplane Safety System-Blocking Crash Prevention, Weather Detection

The letter also cautioned that during the launch of the 5G service, more than 1,000 flights and 100,000 passengers could be subjected to cancelations, delays, or diversions.

Airlines are now considering whether to start canceling international flights that are scheduled to arrive in the country on Jan. 19, according to CBS News.

Boeing stated that with the restrictions at selected airports in the country, the transportation industry is looking for ways to soften the blow of service disruption. They believe they can work across industries and with the local government to finalize solutions that can mitigate all affected schedules.

The letter was also signed by Alaska Air, UPS Airlines, JetBlue Airways, FedEx Express, and Atlas Air. It was sent to Brian Deese, the director of the White House National Economic Council; Pete Buttigieg, the Transportation Secretary; Steve Dickson, the FAA Administrator, and Jessica Rosenworcel, the Federal Communications Commission chairwoman.

The FAA said it would ensure that the public is safe when AT&T and Verizon deploy 5G. The FAA continues to work with the aviation companies and wireless companies to limit flight delays and cancelations connected to the launch of the 5G service.

Why is the 5G Service Risky?

Both Verizon and AT&T agreed to buffer zones around 50 airports in the United States to minimize the risk of interference. The two telecommunications companies also took steps to cut any interference for the next six months. They also both agreed to delay the deployment of 5G for two weeks until Jan. 19.

In 2021, AT&T and Verizon won almost all of the C-Band spectrum in an auction, and it is worth around $80 billion.

The two companies argue that C-Band 5G has been launched without any issues in 40 countries, and there were no reports of aviation interference.

Dave Calhoun, the chief executive of Boeing, talked to Buttigieg and Dickson to warn them of the aviation crisis, according to Global News.

United Airlines warned that the crisis could affect 15,000 flights and 1.25 million passengers. It could also delay tons of cargo. The airline will restrict the flights to cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Newark, and Chicago.