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Major international airlines canceled flights to the U.S. or changed aircraft in use on Wednesday, the latest complication in the conflict over concerns that 5G mobile phone services could interfere with aircraft technology.
Some airlines said they had warned that the Boeing 777, a plane used by carriers around the world, had particularly damaged new high-speed wireless services. The plane is the horse of the Emirates of Dubai, a key carrier for East-West travel, and its flight schedule was one of the most successful.
It was unclear how much damage the cancellations would cause. Several airlines said they would try to use different aircraft to maintain their service.
The cancellations and changes were announced by AT&T and Verizon mobile phone operators, who said they would delay a new wireless service near some U.S. airports scheduled for this week, and happened within a day. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has allowed some aircraft to fly to airports with 5G signals, but the Boeing 777 is not on the list.
Similar mobile networks have been rolled out in dozens of other countries – sometimes with concessions such as reducing the power of networks near airports, as France has done. But in the U.S., the lawsuit has been filed against the FAA and airlines by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and telecommunications companies.
5G uses a portion of the radio spectrum that is close to that used by radio altimeters, which are devices that measure the height of aircraft from the ground and help pilots land at low visibility. The FCC, which set a buffer between the 5G band and the spectrum used by aircraft, determined that it could be used safely around air traffic. AT&T and Verizon have said their equipment will not interfere with aircraft electronics.
But FAA officials saw a potential problem, and the telecommunications company agreed to take a break while it was rectified.
On Wednesday, Emirates announced it would suspend flights to several U.S. cities because of “operational concerns related to the deployment of 5G mobile network services at certain airports in the United States.” He said he will continue flights to Los Angeles, New York and Washington.
“We are working from the village with aircraft manufacturers and relevant authorities to alleviate operational concerns, and we look forward to resuming U.S. services as soon as possible,” the state airline said.
Of particular concern is the Boeing 777. Emirates only makes this model and the Airbus A380 jumbo aircraft.
Japan’s All Nippon Airways said the FAA “has stated that 5G wireless service radio waves can interfere with aircraft altimeters.”
“Boeing has announced flight restrictions for all airlines that use Boeing 777 aircraft, and we have canceled or changed the aircraft for the US / some flights according to Boeing’s forecast,” the ANA said. He canceled 20 flights to cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York for this issue.
Japan Airlines also said that 5G signals could “interfere with the radio altimeter installed on the Boeing 777.”
He said he would stop using the model in the continental United States for the time being. Eight of his flights were damaged on Wednesday: three passengers and five cargo. Taiwan’s EVA Air also said the FAA specifically said the 777 could be damaged, but did not specify how it would adjust its schedule.
But Air France said it planned to continue flying its Boeing 777 to American airports. He did not explain why he did not change his plane as many other carriers did.
Chicago Boeing Co. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Air India also announced on Twitter that it would cancel flights to Chicago, Newark, New York and San Francisco due to the 5G issue.
But he also said he would try to use other aircraft on U.S. routes, a course taken by several other airlines.
Korean Air, Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific and Austrian Airlines said they had replaced several aircraft with flights scheduled to use 777s. Korean Air spokeswoman Jill Chung said the airline was also avoiding some 747 types at the affected airports. The German Lufthansa exchanged one 747 for another on a few flights to the US.
British Airways canceled some Boeing 777 flights to the United States and changed planes in others.
The FAA has said it will allow aircraft with accurate and reliable altimeters to operate at around 5G of high power. But planes with older altimeters will not be able to land in low visibility conditions.
The problem, according to the FAA, is the strength of the signal from the 5G towers and the orientation of their antennas.
“U.S. base stations in rural areas are allowed to broadcast at higher levels compared to other countries that may affect the accuracy and reliability of radio altimeter equipment,” the FAA said in December.
FCC President Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement that the 5G deployment “can safely coexist with aircraft technology in the United States, as it does in other countries around the world.” However, Rosenworcel called on the FAA to conduct security checks “carefully and expeditiously.”
AT&T and Verizon spent $ 10 billion on a 5G spectrum known as the C-Band at a government auction last year.
Choi Jong-yun, a spokesman for Asiana Airlines, said the company has not been harmed so far because it uses Airbus planes for U.S. passenger flights.
However, Choi raised a new wrinkle, saying the FAA has also ordered airlines to prevent them from landing at affected U.S. airports in bad weather conditions, regardless of the type of aircraft. The Asian will redirect its aircraft to nearby airports in those conditions, he said.
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