Many airlines will not meet US 5G upgrade deadline -IATA

Many airlines will be unable to meet looming US deadlines to retrofit airplane altimeters to ensure they are not susceptible to 5G wireless interference, the world's biggest airline trade body warned authorities, saying it could impact the summer international travel season. In a letter to the FAA and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, seen by Reuters, IATA DG Willie Walsh said "many operators will not make the proposed July 2023 (and in some cases the March 2023) retrofit deadline owing to supply chain issues, certification delays, and unavoidable logistical challenges." The letter from the IATA, which represents more than 100 carriers that fly to the United States, was dated Feb. 2 and also sent to the CEs of Boeing, Airbus and other aerospace manufacturers. "It is critical that we acknowledge and accept that fact and move collectively to change our approach to this issue now, before many carriers are unable to continue to serve the US market during the peak summer travel season," the letter added. The FAA last month said it was proposing a requirement that passenger and cargo aircraft in the United States have 5G C-Band-tolerant radio altimeters or approved filters by early 2024. Concerns that 5G service could interfere with airplane altimeters, which give data on a plane's height above the ground and are crucial for bad-weather landing, led to disruptions at some US airports last year involving international carriers. The Transportation Department did not comment, while the FAA said in response to request for comment on the letter "the FAA has made its position clear."<br/>