Leaders of major American airlines have warned of catastrophic disruptions in the transportation and shipping sectors if 5G networks are activated on Wednesday, as planned, without safeguards for transmission towers located near U.S. airports. Verizon and AT&T had previously postponed the launch of their new "5G C-band" service twice due to warnings from airlines and aircraft manufacturers concerned about interference with the systems aircraft use to measure altitude.
The airline executives stated in a message, "We are urgently writing to request that 5G networks be operated everywhere in the country except for approximately two miles from airport runways, as defined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on January 19, 2022."
The message sent to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and government officials warned of an "economic disaster" if Verizon and AT&T proceed with deploying the new technology before necessary updates and changes are made to aviation equipment.
On Sunday, the FAA announced it had approved the operation of some transmission towers in areas where 5G will be deployed, securing "up to 48 of the most affected airports out of 88" from frequency interference. However, airlines fear that the lack of comprehensive measures for all airports could lead to significant disruptions, including the cancellation of thousands of flights, which could halt commercial operations across the country.
The message urged authorities to "take any necessary action to ensure that 5G is not deployed when towers are too close to airport runways until the FAA can determine how to do so safely and without catastrophic disruptions." The letter was signed by the CEOs of American, United, Delta, and Southwest Airlines, as well as freight giants FedEx and UPS.
Verizon and AT&T have secured billion-dollar contracts to operate 5G networks in the United States, but the project's launch has been postponed twice due to warnings from airlines and aircraft manufacturers. If no agreement is reached with the airlines or if federal bodies freeze the operations of telecommunications companies, the national rollout of the 5G service is scheduled to begin on January 19.
