Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has issued a warning to the nation’s airlines regarding potential flight disruptions starting next week. The reason behind this is that certain planes lack updated equipment to prevent interference from wireless companies’ transmissions.
Retrofitted Planes for Poor Visibility
To ensure safe landings during adverse weather conditions like poor visibility, only planes that have been retrofitted with the appropriate equipment will be permitted to land.
Impending 5G Signal Boost
AT&T, Verizon, and other wireless carriers will gain the freedom to amplify the power of their C-Band, 5G signals on July 1. This warning from Buttigieg comes just before that deadline.
Challenges Faced by Airlines
Airlines have encountered difficulties in acquiring the necessary equipment to retrofit their planes due to supply-chain problems. Despite these challenges, the industry trade group, Airlines for America, expresses confidence in avoiding disruptions.
Concerns about Spectrum Conflict
Aviation experts worry about the proximity of C-Band signals to the radio spectrum frequencies used by radio altimeters, which are responsible for measuring a plane’s height above the ground. Although newer altimeters are protected from interference, some airlines have been unable to upgrade all their planes due to a shortage of devices.
Potential Travel Disruptions
The extent of potential travel disruptions resulting from the spectrum conflict remains uncertain. Previous predictions of widespread problems in early 2022 turned out to be incorrect, although a small number of flights were canceled or diverted.
Delta Air Lines’ Retrofitting Status
Delta Air Lines reports that around 190 out of its fleet of over 900 planes will not be equipped with updated radio altimeters by the deadline. These planes could face restrictions during poor weather conditions. However, the airline plans to carefully route them to minimize disruptions while collaborating with a supplier to retrofit more planes throughout the summer.
Other Airlines’ Retrofitted Planes
American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Frontier Airlines have successfully retrofitted all their planes and do not anticipate any issues. United Airlines expects to meet the deadline for all its “mainline” jets, but questions regarding United Express planes should be directed to the smaller carriers that operate them.
Regulatory Perspectives
While the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which granted the 5G licenses to wireless companies, claims there is no risk of interference, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sides with the airlines. Under pressure from the Biden administration, wireless companies agreed to postpone the full rollout of their new networks near major airports until July 1.
Progress of Retrofits
According to information provided by airlines, the Transportation Department states that over 80% of the U.S. fleet has been retrofitted. However, Buttigieg emphasized that “some operators still have work to do” in this regard.
Potential Sanctions for Airlines
Buttigieg has threatened to impose sanctions on airlines engaging in deceptive trade practices if they schedule more flights than they can operate using retrofitted planes.
Airlines’ Efforts and Confidence
Airlines for America, representing major U.S. carriers, assures that its members are diligently equipping planes with updated radio altimeters. Nevertheless, a shortage persists due to global supply-chain issues. Marli Collier, a spokeswoman for the group, asserts that thanks to meticulous planning, A4A member carriers remain confident in their ability to maintain schedule integrity, despite the approaching deadline.
Read the original article on Financial Reports
