US airlines warn rollout of 5G networks could cause major disruption
Major international airlines have begun cancelling flights to the United States after the Federal Aviation Administration raised concerns about 5G wireless towers near airports.
Emirates, Air India, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways announced it would suspend flights after the Airlines for America trade group pressured the Biden administration over “catastrophic disruption” due to the scheduled 19 January rollout.
Emirates suspended flights into nine airports, including Boston, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas Fort Worth, George Bush Intercontinental in Houston, Miami, Newark, Orlando, San Francisco and Seattle. It said it would continue flying into New York’s John F. Kennedy airport, the Los Angeles airport and Washington Dulles. Sir Tim Clark, the airline’s president, called the US government and the wireless companies “delinquent” and “irresponsible” for creating the conditions that allowed for the chaos to occur.
Air India, meanwhile, announced the suspension of services between Delhi and San Francisco, Chicago and JFK, as well as between Mumbai and Newark.
Wireless telecom giants AT&T and Verizon announced the activation of 5G towers near some US airports would be delayed for two weeks to resolve the differences.
The high-speed 5G internet uses so-called C-band frequencies close to those used by aircraft to measure their altitude, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warning potential interference could affect sensitive aeroplane instruments such as altimeters and significantly hamper low-visibility operations.
Follow live updates below
United Airlines issued a statement just before noon on Wednesday praising the Biden administration for reaching a compromise with Verizon and AT&T that temporarily halted the rollout of 5G at cell towers near airports.
“While we anticipate minor disruptions at some airports due to the remaining 5G restrictions, we’re pleased the Biden Administration reached a compromise with AT&T and Verizon to avoid mass cancellations across the aviation industry,” the statement said.
“We look forward to a higher level of coordination between the regulators, telecom companies and the aviation industry to ensure that customers are not faced with disruptions going forward.
Graig Graziosi19 January 2022 17:26
Japan Airlines to resume flights to US beginning Thursday
Japan Airlines issued a press release Wednesday morning informing customers it would resume flights to the US on Thursday.
“Today on January 19, we have received confirmation from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) that there is no longer a problem with the operation of the Boeing 777 and we will resume service to the U.S. mainland with Boeing 777 from January 20,” the company said in the statement.
The airline cancelled flights on Wednesday in response to the wireless carriers’ 5G rollout.
Graig Graziosi19 January 2022 16:16
Which major hub airports have been affected?
The Independent’s David Taintor has collected a list of hub airports that have been affected by the 5G rollout.
Those airports include Boston Logan International, Chicago’s O’Hare, and the Dallas Fort Worth International airport.
For a full list of US hub airports currently experiencing delays caused by the rollout, as well as a look into which international carriers are cancelling flights, check out the story here.
Graig Graziosi19 January 2022 15:24
Emirates chief says he did not know about US 5G rollout until morning prior, calls all involved “delinquent,” and “irresponsible”
Sir Tim Clark, the president of Dubai-based airline Emirates, blasted the US government and US wireless providers during an appearance on CNN Wednesday.
Mr Clark said he was not made aware of the details of the US 5G rollout until Tuesday morning. Emirates primarily operates using Boeing 777s, which are especially susceptible to the kind of instrument malfunction airline safety experts warn could be caused by 5G.
“I need to be as candid as I normally am, and say this is one of the most delinquent, utterly irresponsible issue subjects, call it what you like, I’ve seen in my aviation career because it involves organs of government, manufacturers, science, etc. And you know, the notion that, for instance, the United States government should sell its franchise for all the frequencies for a large amount of money,” he told CNN’s Richard Quest. “Somebody should have told them at the time – that the risks and the dangers they placed in certain frequency uses around field, airfields, metropolitan fields that should have been done at the time.”
Graig Graziosi19 January 2022 14:55
Pilot Association: FCC and telecom companies “ignored” our warnings over 5G interference
The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents more than 61,000 pilots at 38 US and Canadian airlines, put out a statement last night on Twitter regarding the 5G implementation delay.
“Today we issued the following statement on the recent #5G implementation delay,” they captioned the Tweet.
The association went on to say that the delay in rollout acknowledges the seriousness of aviation safety and operational risks.
But airline passengers and shippers “deserve a commitment from the telecom companies not to launch the new 5G service at any of the airport locations identified by the FAA as being susceptible to 5G interference” until a permanent fix is found, the statement concluded.
Thomas Fenton19 January 2022 14:00
5G rollout: United Airlines tells delayed customers to complain to the government in angry online message
United Airlines have advised disgruntled customers to contact the FCC amid ongoing 5G-related delays.
The company issued the message to customers whose flights had been delayed by several hours on Tuesday evening as a result of the rollout of a new 5G system across the US.
“New: @United tells customers to contact @FCC over delayed flight,” journalist David Shepardson shared on Twitter, with a screenshot of the United message attached.
The airline’s message reads: “Your flight is delayed due to potential interference caused by the implementation of a new 5G signal by telecommunications systems near Denver International Airport and its possible impact on aircraft equipment.
“If you have any concerns, please address them with the Federal Communications Commission here.”
Thomas Fenton19 January 2022 13:48
Delay to 5G implementation goes far beyond aviation interference – experts suggest
The delay in the rollout of 5G is only the latest of several factors making companies cautious on deploying the next-generation wireless service in their operations, analysts and industry executives say.
But even beyond the two-week delay, there is no dearth of reasons that companies are being careful on 5G. The cost and complexity of bringing out new infrastructure are holding back some, as well as the less-than-ringing demand, analysts say.
“There is a lengthy time frame between making the described airwaves available at auction, conducting the auctions, then actually deploying the infrastructure to support these airwaves,” Bill Menezes, a director at Gartner Inc, told the WSJ.
“What’s more, apps that might generate demand and drive 5G adoption are still in relatively early stages of development.”
Thomas Fenton19 January 2022 13:25
Explainer: Why 5G is causing so much disruption to the aviation industry
The airline industry is raising the stakes in a showdown with AT&T and Verizon over plans to launch new 5G wireless service this week, warning that thousands of flights could be grounded or delayed if the rollout takes place near major airports.
CEOs of the nation’s largest airlines say that interference from the wireless service on a key instrument on planes is worse than they originally thought.
AT&T and Verizon plan to activate their new 5G wireless service Wednesday after two previous delays from the original plan for an early December rollout.
The new high-speed 5G service uses a segment of the radio spectrum that is close to that used by altimeters, which are devices that measure the height of aircraft above the ground.
Read a full rundown of the issue here:
EXPLAINER: 5G and air travel
The airline industry is raising the stakes in a showdown with AT&T and Verizon over plans to launch new 5G wireless service this week, warning that thousands of flights could be grounded or delayed if the rollout takes place near major airports
Thomas Fenton19 January 2022 12:39
Watch: Pilots association slams 5G launch as ‘reckless’
Allied Pilots Association spokesperson Dennis Tajer said on Tuesday suggested that the rollout of 5G near airports could put the lives of passengers at risk.
“This is reckless, it’s dangerous, and it’s got to stop,” Tajer told the Today Show on Tuesday.
“Take a pause. This is about a cellphone signal, and we’re focused on protecting lives.”
Watch the full exchange below:
Justin Vallejo19 January 2022 12:00