US airlines warn 5G technology 'will ground flights'
Will PayneBosses of major passenger and cargo carriers in the US have warned against an impending "catastrophic" aviation crisis in less than 36 hours with the deployment of new 5G services by telecoms firms At&T and Verizon.
The industry leaders said in a letter the deployment of new 5G mobile internet technology could lead to the grounding of a number of flights due to interference.
"We are writing with urgency to request that 5G be implemented everywhere in the country except within the approximate two miles of airport runways as defined by the FAA," wrote chief executives of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and six other passenger and cargo carriers, according to the Independent.
In the letter, addressed to US transport secretary Pete Buttigieg and other government officials, the airlines further warned that "unless our major hubs are cleared to fly, the vast majority of the travelling and shipping public will be essentially grounded".
"This means that on a day like yesterday, more than 1,100 flights and 100,000 passengers would be subjected to cancellations, diversions or delays," the letter cautioned.
The 5G internet uses C-band frequencies close to those used by aircraft to measure their altitude.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reportedly warned potential interference could affect sensitive airplane instruments such as altimeters and hamper low-visibility operations.
On Monday (17 January), Boeing reportedly said: "With the proposed restrictions at selected airports, the transportation industry is preparing for some service disruption.
"We are optimistic that we can work across industries and with the government to finalise solutions that safely mitigate as many schedule impacts as possible."
The FAA reportedly told the New York Times it "will continue to keep the travelling public safe as wireless companies deploy 5G" and it will work with the aviation industry and telecom companies "to try and limit 5G-related flight delays and cancellations".
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