Could 5G Affect Air Travel? Airbus And Boeing Ask Biden To Delay Release

Airplane manufacturers Airbus and Boeing asked the Biden administration to delay the rollout of 5G cell service that is scheduled for Jan. 5, 2022, in a letter sent to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

According to the BBC, Airbus wrote in a statement that “Airbus and Boeing have been working with other aviation industry stakeholders in the U.S. to understand potential 5G interference with radio altimeters. An aviation safety proposal to mitigate potential risks has been submitted for consideration to the U.S. Department of Transportation.”

Boeing CEO David Calhoun and Airbus America CEO Jeffrey Knittel wrote to Buttigieg that a rollout of 5G could “adversely affect the ability of the aircraft to safely operate.” The interference of 5G could cause problems during low visibility conditions, delaying flights or causing them to divert.

In the letter, the CEOs asked the Biden administration to delay the deployment of 5G and limit the power of 5G transmissions near airports, according to CNN. Earlier in December, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a rule that forbids pilots from using certain flight systems, including auto-landing, where 5G could interfere with onboard instruments.

AT&T and Verizon delayed the launch by a month and took precautionary measures to limit 5G's effects because of FAA warnings, but Boeing and Airbus warn that the measures do not go far enough.

During a U.S. Senate Commerce Committee hearing Wednesday, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby called 5G “the biggest and most damaging issue facing us right now.”

Potential interference with US airline frequencies prompted AT&T and Verizon to delay rollout of their 5G networks AFP / Josep LAGO

The CTIA, a trade association representing the U.S. wireless communications industry, views the claims by air travel CEOs as exaggerated and based on faulty science. A blog post was written by Meredith Attwell Baker, CEO of the trade association, who claimed that any delay could hurt the economy.

In November, Baker wrote, “within the nearly 40 countries operating 5G in the C-Band today, there is not a single report of 5G causing harmful interference with air traffic of any kind. Despite this evidence, the FAA and the aviation industry appear to be looking to halt 5G deployment in the United States altogether.”