New Delhi: Major international airlines on Wednesday rushed to cancel or cancel flights to the United States ahead of the 5G wireless rollout, sparking security concerns, despite two wireless carriers saying they would deploy Will delay some parts.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned that potential 5G interference could affect altitude readings that play a key role in inclement weather landings on some jets, and airlines say the Boeing 777 initially made headlines. is from.
Despite an announcement by AT&T and Verizon that they would halt 5G rollouts near airports, many airlines still canceled flights or changed aircraft models.
Late Tuesday, the FAA began updating its guidance on which airports and aircraft models will be affected, a move expected to dramatically reduce the impact of about 1,500 notices of 5G restrictions issued by the regulator.
The Emirates of Dubai, the world’s largest operator of the Boeing 777, previously said it would suspend flights to nine US destinations from January 19, the planned date for the deployment of 5G wireless services.
Emirates will continue to operate flights to JFK in New York, Los Angeles and Washington DC.
Two of Japan’s major airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, said they would cut Boeing 777 flights. ANA said it was canceling or replacing the aircraft used on some US flights.
Korean Air Lines said it had switched away from 777s and 747-8s on six US passenger and cargo flights, Taiwan’s China Airlines said it would reschedule some flights and Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways said it would. Will deploy different types of aircraft on
The airlines said they were acting in response to a notice from Boeing that 5G signals could interfere with the radio altimeter on the 777, which could lead to restrictions.
A Boeing spokesman did not immediately comment.
According to data from Flightradar24, last year the 777 was the second most used widebody aircraft on flights to and from US airports, with nearly 210,000 flights, behind only the 767.
Industry sources said Boeing had issued technical advisories noting potential interference, but flight restrictions were in the hands of the FAA, which is now limited to operations at major airports unless airlines qualify for special approval. does not receive
Radio altimeters give accurate altitude readings above ground and help with automatic landings, as well as verifying that the jet has landed before allowing reverse thrust.
Air India, which serves four US destinations with Boeing 777s, said those flights would be cut or face a change in aircraft type from Wednesday.
Singapore Airlines said it had changed the aircraft to be used on select US routes based on guidance from Boeing and in consultation with its regulators.
workhorse jet
The cancellations were announced despite delays by wireless carriers in commissioning some 5G towers near major airports.
Airline industry sources said the decision came too late to affect complex aircraft and crew decisions for some of Wednesday’s flights.
British Airways opted to switch the aircraft from normal Boeing 777 service to an Airbus A380 on its daily flight to Los Angeles, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Web tracker Flightradar24 said that the A350 can also be used. The radio altimeters on two Airbus jets have been cleaned while the planner is still evaluating other models.
According to a spokesperson for Flightradar24, the 777 mini-jumbo is a workhorse of the long-distance travel market that remains depressed post-Covid-19, while its cargo counterpart has reshaped the aviation route map during the pandemic.
Not all 777 flights are affected. Emirates, which is also a major user of the larger A380, will switch to larger planes for Los Angeles and New York, but will continue to fly the 777 to Washington, which is not affected.
Qatar Airways, which operates both the 777 and A350 in the United States, said all 12 of its US routes were operating as scheduled, with minor delays expected in flights from the US to Doha.
Israel’s El Al said its services had not been affected.
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