Airlines have begun planning for possible flight disruptions as U.S. regulators weigh competing proposals for protecting aircraft from a new fifth-generation cellular service slated to go live early next year, industry officials said.
The early-stage planning involves drawing up contingency plans without knowing where flight limits could be needed, as regulators analyze cell-tower and aircraft data, the officials said. It follows a regulatory order earlier this month outlining potential restrictions on landing in bad weather and other low-visibility conditions in up to 46 of the country’s largest metropolitan areas, where the service is scheduled to roll out starting Jan. 5.