- [Reporter] Concerns that a new 5G service could pose risks
to aircraft instruments has prompted international airlines
to cancel some US-bound flights,
even after AT&T and Verizon agreed to limit the signal
near US airports.
The pace of cancellations eased Wednesday,
once it became clear
that the FAA would allow most flights to proceed.
Airlines have been caught in the middle of a dispute
between the wireless industry
and the Federal Aviation Administration
and executives have repeatedly raised alarms
about what this could mean for business.
- I think if you were to ask us
what our number one concern is here in the near term,
it is the deployment of 5G.
- [Reporter] Airline executives have warned
of significant flight disruptions
after the FAA said it could impose restrictions
on landing aircraft
in up to 46 of the country's largest metropolitan areas
where the service was scheduled to be rolled out.
The FAA says the new 5G signals could possibly interfere
with cockpit safety systems,
but the wireless industry is pushing back
against those claims.
Here's what you need to know.
A bulletin sent by the FAA
says that 5G interference could result
in "erroneous altimeter readings
"and loss of altimeter function".
A radar, or radio altimeter, is a key piece of equipment
that tells a pilot the plane's altitude.
It does this by sending radio waves to the ground
that return to the aircraft.
Radar altimeters send signals at narrow frequencies
that wouldn't interfere with the planned 5G signal,
but some were sensitive models could receive signals
that come from the cellular towers.
The FAA says this has the potential
to produce inaccurate readings.
- If they can't be relied on
because of potential interference,
then the regulators are going to prohibit use
of certain cockpit safety systems
that rely on these devices,
and that's gonna have significant ripple effects
for air travel.
- [Reporter] Airplane manufacturers
have also raised a red flag about 5G's impact on safety.
- The aerospace manufacturers are concerned
because they don't want their planes to crash.
They have a keen interest in making sure
that airlines can safely operate their products.
- [Reporter] The CEOs of Boeing
and Airbus Americas sent a letter
to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in December.
The executives said
"5G interference could adversely affect the ability
"of aircraft to safely operate"
and that FAA restrictions as a result could have
"an enormous negative impact on the aviation industry".
But not everyone agrees with the safety concerns.
The Federal Communications Commission
said that the limits it had set on the cellular service
would be enough to protect air traffic.
- They've got spectrum experts and engineers
that don't see any risks to aviation safety.
- [Reporter] And CTIA, a wireless industry trade group,
has responded sharply to the concerns
voiced by the FAA and others,
saying "the aviation industry's fear-mongering relies
"on completely discredited information
"and deliberate distortions of fact".
The industry group also points to the frequencies used
in nearly 40 countries
and says none has reported any harmful interference
with aviation equipment, but-
- What may work in one country may not work in another
because 5G is rolled out in a different spectrum
or at different power levels,
with antennas pointed in different directions.
Some countries have imposed buffer zones around airports.
It's really not apples to apples.
- [Reporter] Airlines have urged cooperation
with the wireless industry and regulators
to resolve the issue
to avoid disruptions to their operations.
- I do know that the safety concerns
with aircraft and aviation are very real,
and I also know that there's a solution here.
We could absolutely solve this
and live in a world where there is 5G available.
- [Reporter] AT&T and Verizon had been planning
to switch on the new service on January 5th,
but reversed course on January 3rd.
The wireless carriers agreed to delay the rollout
by two weeks
at the request of the Transportation Department.
- The Transportation Department
and the FAA were essentially asking for more time
so they can figure out
how to narrowly tailor flight restrictions.
- [Reporter] During those two weeks,
the FAA picked 50 airports
where buffer zones would be implemented,
limiting 5G signals for six months
to help avoid disruptions
from the expected flight restrictions.
But Verizon and AT&T agreed
to limit the service even further,
saying they will not switch the service on
within two miles of airport runways.
Aviation safety officials
say these limits will avert many,
but likely not all, cancellations and delays.
- We are ready for you to send us a route revision.
- [Reporter] The FAA says it will work
with airplane manufacturers and airlines
to ensure aircraft can safely operate
with the new cell service.
The agency says it would ease restrictions
as more altimeters are tested
and either deemed safe, retrofitted, or replaced.
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