The chief executive officers (CEOs) of some of the United
States’ largest airlines have raised the alarm on a potential “catastrophic
disruption” in the aviation industry if telecoms companies launch 5G services
on Wednesday.
In a letter sent to senior officials in the Biden
administration on Monday, they warned that thousands of aircraft could be
grounded, causing commerce to “grind to a halt” with Americans stranded
overseas if 5G is switched on near airport runways.
The airlines urged US officials to delay deployment of the
service within two miles of affected airport runways.
AT&T and Verizon have already twice delayed the launch
of their new C-Band 5G service due to warnings from airlines and aeroplane
manufacturers concerned that the new system might interfere with their ability
to gauge altitude.
“We are writing with urgency to request that 5G be
implemented everywhere in the country except within the approximate two miles
of airport runways as defined by the FAA on January 19, 2022,” the letter
reads.
The letter was signed by the chief executives of American
Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest
Airlines, FedEx Express, UPS Airlines, amongst others.
It was addressed to Brian Deese, director of national
economic council; Jessica Rosenworcel, chairwoman, Federal Communications
Commission; Pete Buttigieg, transportation secretary and Steve Dickson, Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) administrator.
The CEOs highlighted the risk of “economic calamity” should
Verizon and AT&T proceed as planned with implementing the technology before
the necessary upgrades and changes have been made to aviation equipment.
They warned that disruptions to aeroplanes’ instruments
could ground “huge swaths” of the US fleet, subjecting more than 1,100 flights
and 100,000 passengers to cancellations, diversions or delays.
“The ripple effects across both passenger and cargo operations,
our workforce and the broader economy are incalculable. Every one of the
passenger and cargo carriers will be struggling to get people, shipments,
planes and crews where they need to be. To be blunt, the nation’s commerce will
grind to a halt,” they added.
On Sunday, the FAA said it had cleared an estimated 45
percent of the U.S. commercial fleet to perform low-visibility landings at
airports where the new 5G service would be deployed.
But the airlines are concerned that remaining limitations at
those airports, as well as a large amount of uncertified equipment, could lead
to the grounding of thousands of flights.
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