US airlines warn 5G wireless could cause havoc with flights

Major US air carriers warned on Wednesday that plans by AT&T and Verizon Communications to use spectrum for 5G wireless services could be highly disruptive to air travel and cost air passengers $1.6b annually in delays. Trade group Airlines for America said if a new FAA directive for addressing potential interference from wireless transmissions had been in effect in 2019 “approximately 345,000 passenger flights, 32m passengers, and 5,400 cargo flights would have been impacted in the form of delayed flights, diversions, or cancellations.” The wireless carriers are set to begin using the spectrum in just three weeks. Last week, the FAA issued new airworthiness directives warning interference from 5G wireless spectrum could result in flight diversions. The aviation industry and FAA have raised significant concerns about potential interference of 5G with sensitive aircraft electronics like radio altimeters. In November, AT&T and Verizon agreed to delay the commercial launch of C-band wireless service until Jan. 5 after the FAA raised concerns. They also adopted precautionary measures for six months to limit interference. Aviation industry groups said they were insufficient to address air safety concerns.<br/>