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Friday 25 November 2022

FAA warns against 5G rollout as airlines upgrade radio altimeters to avoid interference

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned against any distribution of 5G technology due to concerns regarding interference with aircraft equipment. Its warning comes amid airports upgrading their equipment to avoid untoward incidents involving the frequency.

Back in January, the FAA issued notices to airmen (NOTAMs) that warned of disruptions caused by 5G and C-band frequencies on aircraft equipment. These disruptions caused by 5G affect “altimeters, automated landing, heads-up displays/enhanced flight vision systems and helicopter autopilot hover modes. These purportedly arose from the airline regulator’s monitoring of such incidents, with the FAA recording more than 100.

Major U.S. airlines are busy retrofitting radio altimeters because of possible interference from 5G C-band wireless services. However, they are now asking for an extension – which they did through a Nov. 15 letter to the White House. The letter penned by major airline industry players called on the Biden administration for a grace period through the end of 2021.

The aforementioned letter – which included American Airlines, Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and others as signatories – cited worldwide supply chain troubles as the cause of the delay. “Air carriers will likely be unable to fully meet either the December 2022 deadlines for smaller regional aircraft and many large transports or the July 2023 retrofit deadline,” they wrote.

Furthermore, the letter cited that since January, “the FAA has documented over 100 incidents of potential 5G interference.”...<<<Read More>>>...