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US airlines warn 5G could ground planes and wreak havoc at airports
- CEOs of major carriers have sent an urgent letter to the Biden administration just days before AT&T and Verizon deploy their next-generation service
- Aviation authorities have said that potential 5G band interference could affect sensitive instruments and affect low-visibility operations
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The chief executives of major US passenger and cargo carriers on Monday warned of an impending “catastrophic” aviation crisis on Wednesday when AT&T and Verizon are set to deploy new 5G service.
The airlines warned the new C-Band 5G service could potentially make a significant number of widebody aircraft unusable and “could potentially strand tens of thousands of Americans overseas”.
“Unless our major hubs are cleared to fly, the vast majority of the travelling and shipping public will essentially be grounded,” wrote the chief executives of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and others.
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The FAA has warned that potential interference could affect sensitive instruments such as altimeters and affect low-visibility operations.
“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,” it cautioned.
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