The bosses of the world’s two biggest aircraft manufacturers have called on the US government to delay the launch of new 5G phone services . In a letter, top executives from Boeing and Airbus warned that this new technology could have “a huge negative impact on the aviation industry.”
Concerns had previously been raised that C-band spectrum 5G wireless technology could interfere with aircraft electronics. US telecommunications giants AT&T and Verizon were planning to roll out 5G services starting on January 5.
Possible interference with aircraft
” 5G interference could negatively affect the ability of aircraft to operate safely,” Boeing and Airbus Americas chiefs Dave Calhoun and Jeffrey Knittel said in a joint letter to US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as recently as just a few weeks.
The letter cited research from the trade group Airlines for America that found that if the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules to implement 5G had been in place in 2019, about 345,000 passenger flights and 5,400 cargo flights would have faced delays, diversions or cancellations.
The aviation industry and the FAA have also raised concerns about potential 5G interference with aircraft equipment such as radio altitude meters. “Airbus and Boeing have been working with other US aviation industry stakeholders to understand potential 5G interference with radio altimeters,” Airbus said in a statement.
“An aviation security proposal to mitigate potential risks has been submitted for consideration to the United States Department of Transportation.” This month, the FAA issued airworthiness directives warning that 5G interference could result in flight diversions, saying it would provide more information before the January 5 launch date.
In November, AT&T and Verizon delayed the commercial launch of C-band wireless service by a month to January 5 and took precautionary measures to limit interference. Aviation industry groups have said the measures did not go far enough, with Boeing and Airbus saying they have made a counterproposal that would limit cellular transmissions around airports and other critical areas.
Last week, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said the FAA’s 5G directives would ban the use of radio altitude gauges at about 40 of the largest airports in the United States and Europe.
The US wireless industry group CTIA has said that 5G is safe and accused the aviation industry of creating fear and distorting the facts. “A delay will do real damage. Delaying the rollout by a year would result in losses of around €50 billion, dragging down economic growth, just as the world begins to recover and rebuild from the pandemic.”
