US Airlines Warn 5G Wireless Network Could Wreak Havoc on Air Travel

Major U.S. airlines have warned that plans by telecommunication giants AT&T and Verizon Communications to use spectrum for 5G wireless network services could wind up costing travelers as much as $1.6 billion annually in flight delays and disruptions, Reuters reported.

Wednesday’s development comes just one week after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned that possible interference from the new 5G wireless spectrum could pose an air safety risk.

According to Airlines for America (A4A), if a new FAA directive for addressing potential interference from wireless transmissions had been in effect in 2019, approximately 345,000 passenger flights carrying 32 million passengers would have been impacted by delays, diversions or cancellations.

The concerns stem from the potential interference of 5G with sensitive aircraft electronics like radio altimeters. Last month, AT&T and Verizon agreed to delay the commercial launch of C-band wireless service until January 5 and adopted precautionary measures for six months to limit interference. However, there are concerns the measures are insufficient.

New FAA airworthiness directives call for airplane and helicopter flight manuals to be revised in order to “prohibit some operations requiring radio altimeter data when in the presence of 5G C-Band wireless broadband signals.”

In addition to passenger service, the 5G rollout could significantly impact cargo flights. “Airline customers rely on airlines to transport time-sensitive perishable products such as pharmaceuticals, vaccines, organs, critical supply chain parts, and many other high-value items,” A4A said. “The lack of serious mitigations on the part of 5G telecom companies to address interference issues will significantly disrupt and harm the economy.”

For now, the FAA continues to work closely with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), White House and industry officials on a safe rollout of 5G networks.