Flights at Pittsburgh International Affected by Communications Issues

Just days before airlines and airports have to be in compliance and use 5G technology, there’s a problem.

Pittsburgh International Airport was hit by communications issues on Saturday and several flights were delayed. It is not fully known whether the issues were related to the 5G switch, however. Airlines have to retrofit their respective fleets by Saturday, July 1. Some have had issues getting the proper 5G equipment and technology.

A spokesperson at Pittsburgh International Airport would only say that the issue was in the air traffic control tower, and, you guessed it, a technology glitch by Southwest Airlines.

The airport, along with help from the Federal Aviation Administration, fixed the issues by Saturday night.

The 5G technology debate has been going on for years now. But some airlines say supply chain issues have hampered their ability to make the switch to the proper equipment.

Specifically, airlines need new altimeters, which measure how far off the ground a plane is when attempting to land. The government said that some planes won’t be allowed to land in bad weather unless they have the proper 5G equipment.

Pittsburgh International Airport has been operating normally the last three days.