ALPA says upgrading aircraft to accommodate 5G networks will be costly

Pilot union Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) estimates the cost of upgrading radio altimeters on US commercial aircraft due to possible interference from fifth-generation (5G) cell phone networks will reach into six-figures per aircraft, and could take years to complete. In a scathing letter to the US House of Representatives subcommittee on aviation, ALPA president Joe De Pete on 8 February blasted the FCC - the government agency that regulates telecoms companies - for being negligent and ignoring aviation industry concerns regarding interference with avionics equipment ahead of the introduction of 5G service across the country last month. The “avoidable crisis” that resulted, he adds, will cost the airlines millions to fix. “While it is difficult to provide specific information, we are generally aware that avionics upgrades can be more expensive than many would ever imagine,” Pete writes. “Because multiple radar altimeters are installed aboard large air transport aircraft, the cost of the modified or new equipment, including the cost of labor to install the equipment, and the cost of aircraft time out of service, the overall cost could easily be $100,000-$150,000 per aircraft, depending on the aircraft type.”<br/>