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WASHINGTON — U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned Friday that radio altimeters for planes that have not been updated to combat 5G C-band interference could be delayed from July 1, and urged them to adjust schedules if necessary.
More than 80% of the domestic fleet serving U.S. airports has been upgraded, Buttigieg said in a letter to Air America: “We continue to see a significant number of aircraft, including those operated by many foreign carriers, still awaiting upgrades.” This means that in particularly bad weather, low visibility days, delays and cancellations may increase.
Concerns that 5G service could interfere with aircraft altimeters, which provide information on the plane’s altitude above the ground and are critical for landing in bad weather, led to brief disruptions at some US airports last year as international carriers canceled some flights.
A4A, which represents major U.S. carriers, said carriers are working to update altimeters “but global supply chains continue to lag behind current demand … A4A member carriers remain confident in their ability to maintain the integrity of their programs as the deadline approaches.”
International carriers have repeatedly warned of the deadline.
Last year, Verizon and AT&T voluntarily agreed to delay some C-band 5G use until July while the carriers worked to update aircraft altimeters.
Buttigieg urged airlines flying without sophisticated equipment to act now to proactively adjust their schedules. A published schedule for their damages.”
Delta Air Lines told the airline on July 1 that its supplier would no longer have enough radio equipment for Delta’s fleet.
About 190 of Delta’s narrowbody aircraft, including all A220s, most A319s and A320s, and some A321s, are not equipped with modern radio altimeters. All of Delta’s wide-body aircraft will be equipped with the updated radio altimeters before July 1, the airline said.
Reuters first reported in March that the major US wireless carriers had agreed to some voluntary measures to address aviation security concerns.
The deal with AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile US and UScellular follows lengthy talks with the Federal Aviation Administration, allowing wireless carriers to increase power levels to gain full C-band usage by July 1.
Buttigieg added Friday that “passengers should not have to bear the brunt of any airline’s inability to equip enough aircraft to operate safely in a 5G C-band environment.”
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