general

The winter storm sweeping across much of the United States led to thousands of flight cancellations and delays on Thursday, with many more likely throughout the day. As of early afternoon Eastern time, 4,762 flights scheduled to arrive at or depart from US airports on Thursday had been canceled, and an additional 934 were delayed, according to FlightAware, a tracking website. One of the hardest-hit cities was Dallas, which had about 800 canceled departures and about 750 canceled arrivals. At Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, 65 percent of departing flights and 60 percent of arriving flights were canceled, and at Dallas Love Field Airport, 84 percent of departures and 78 percent of arrivals were canceled. By a little after noon, Dallas-Fort Worth had reopened one runway but warned, “Due to ongoing weather conditions, we anticipate intermediate stoppages throughout the day to treat for snow and ice.” A majority of flights were canceled at each of the three largest airports serving Ohio — Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, John Glenn Columbus International Airport and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport — as well as at airports in St. Louis and in Austin, Texas. On an average day, the FAA handles 45,000 flights, meaning the cancellations and delays on Thursday are affecting more than 10% of air traffic in the United States. That is a remarkably high number: While there is much seasonal variation, daily cancellation totals tend to be less than 2% on average.<br/>

Lawmakers wondered aloud Thursday how a showdown between two federal agencies over the rollout of new high-speed wireless service reached crisis proportions last month, but they were short on answers to a dispute that raised concerns about interference with key equipment on some planes. Some flights have been canceled since Verizon and AT&T turned on their new networks last month, but predictions of widespread cancellations turned out to be wrong. The FAA has cleared 90% of the nation’s airline fleet to land during poor visibility at airports near 5G cell towers. Those approvals are being made each month, plane by plane, based on the model of radio altimeter that they use to measure their height above the ground. Some “lower-performing” planes are still restricted, and a permanent fix for the entire fleet is likely at least a year away, FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson said during a hearing of the House aviation subcommittee. The CEOs of American Airlines and United Airlines have said they don’t expect any more disruptions. However, more than half of the planes operated by regional airlines remain restricted during bad weather, said Faye Malarkey Black, president of a trade group for the smaller carriers, some of which operate flights for American Eagle, United Express and Delta Connection. Black said cancellations are still occurring, and more than one-fourth of flights at the three major airports in the New York City areas are operated by smaller planes that can’t land there during bad weather because of restrictions related to 5G. Story has more.<br/>

Airlines and flight crews have been forced to sift through scores of new restrictions since last month’s chaotic roll-out of new 5G wireless service, aviation industry officials told lawmakers Thursday. Flight precautions imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration can vary by different runways at the same airport, according to testimony at the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s aviation panel. Pilots are forced to perform extensive workarounds that “we expect will be needed for the foreseeable future,” Joe DePete, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, said in prepared remarks. “This is no way to run a railroad, and it’s certainly no way to operate the world’s safest air transportation system.” At the same time, wireless companies AT&T and Verizon Communications that spent about $80b for the rights to the new C-band airwaves, have had to hold off on activating hundreds of cell towers near airport runways as the FAA assesses the potential for interference on aviation equipment. “The truth of the matter is that both of our industries have been thrust into this avoidable economic calamity by a government process that failed,” Nicholas Calio, president of the Airlines for America trade group, said in prepared testimony.<br/>

The United States will gradually permit more 5G telecommunications service near airports, but a long-term solution on air safety concerns will take at least a year, a senior regulator said Thursday. FAA chief Steve Dickson, said the agency will "continue to shrink the problem" in the coming months, but a final resolution would not be ready until "probably early 2023" or later. Dickson appeared at a congressional hearing focused on the implementation of 5G service in the United States, which was repeatedly delayed due to concerns the signals would interfere with radio altimeters that allow aircraft to conduct low-visibility landings. On January 18, Verizon and AT&T agreed to delay 5G implementation at some airports. Since then, the FAA has been gradually clearing more aircraft following a review. The regulator has said about 90% of US commercial aircraft have been cleared for most low-visibility approaches in areas with 5G, but airlines have had to ground or reroute some planes that have not been cleared. Dickson said the agency expects to ultimately issue air worthiness standards that will spell out the upgrades needed for all planes to ensure there is no interference with 5G. During the lengthy hearing, lawmakers from both parties expressed frustration with the implementation of 5G. The telecom companies modified their plans only after an outcry from airlines warning of mass disruption shortly before the planned ramp-up, a process described as "harrowing" by one witness Thursday.<br/>

The wealthy resort town of East Hampton on New York’s Long Island said it’s restricting traffic at its airport even as the FAA warns of obstacles that may slow the process down. The town’s board last month voted unanimously to deactivate its airport at the end of February after residents have complained about noise for years, objections that have grown as ride-share apps make helicopter and plane travel easier. The plan was to reopen it as a more limited-use facility on March 4, where pilots could land only with prior permission. In a letter dated Wednesday, the FAA said that once the facility is deactivated, it will lose key attributes of an airport. For example, all FAA-operated navigational, weather, and communication aids will be disabled, the agency said. The regulatory agency will also need to analyze the airspace, and how its use will affect people and property on the ground and how it will affect the broader airspace structure. There may also be an environmental analysis it has to do. These efforts may take about two years to sort out, the FAA said in its letter. In a statement on Thursday, the town board said it has told the FAA that if the agency doesn’t allow the airport to use an air control tower and other navigational aids, East Hampton will open a simpler airport without such amenities instead in March. The town also said that the FAA has never suggested that the East Hampton Airport and its airspace and instrument procedures are unsafe.<br/>

Airports in Turkey and Russia have climbed up the European rankings after suffering a less severe hit from the coronavirus pandemic than busy terminals to the west. Istanbul International Airport attracted more than 37m passengers in 2021, keeping it in the top spot for a second year, while Moscow Sheremetyevo rose three more steps to second, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Secondary hubs in both cities also featured in the top 10, while London Heathrow, Europe’s dominant airport prior to the pandemic, tumbled to ninth. Its passenger tally slumped further last year with vital North Atlantic routes largely in lockdown. Terminals in Turkey and Russia have been buoyed by their large domestic travel markets, which have continued largely unhindered through the Covid crisis. Russians were also able to visit overseas holiday destinations earlier than in Western Europe, while Turkey reopened for tourism in June. Still, there were signs of the old order returning, with traffic edging higher from the 2020 lows at Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. What’s more, Heathrow appears set to retake the top spot through the summer based on planned seat capacity, according to analysis from CAPA Centre for Aviation. CAPA predicts that Istanbul International will to drop to second place, followed by Frankfurt and Paris-CDG.<br/>