U.S. airline CEOs again warn of potential disruption from 5G rollout

In a letter sent Monday to United States transportation and economic officials and obtained by NBC News, the CEOs of major airlines expressed concerns that rollout of a new 5G service near major airports on Wednesday, could  cause “catastrophic” disruption and ground flights which would left "tens of thousands of Americans" stranded overseas. The aviation sector is concerned 5G signals will interfere with aviation technology including the radar altimeter onboard planes. "The ripple effects across both passenger and cargo operations, our workforce and the broader economy are simply incalculable," the executives wrote. "To be blunt, the nation's commerce will grind to a halt." The executives of the US largest airlines and shipping carriers including Delta, American, United, Southwest, FedEx, UPS and more, are asking for "immediate intervention" to block AT&T and Verizon from launching new 5G network within two miles of airports. 

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the potential impacts of 5G on flights and has preemptively ordered some Boeing 787 operators to take extra precautions when landing.

"With safety as its core mission, the FAA will continue to ensure that the traveling public is safe as wireless companies deploy 5G," the FAA said in a statement. "The FAA continues to work with the aviation industry and wireless companies to try to limit 5G-related flight delays and cancellations.” FAA announced on Sunday it had approved some transponders to be safely operated within areas where 5G will be deployed, clearing "as many as 48 of the 88 airports most directly affected by 5G C-Band interference."

But the airlines are worried that remaining limitations at those airports, as well as a large amount of equipment still uncertified, could trigger a crisis including the grounding of thousands of flights.

Airlines late on Monday were considering whether to begin canceling some international flights that are scheduled to arrive in the United States on Wednesday.

AT&T and Verizon, which won contracts worth tens of billions of dollars last February to operate 5G in the 3.7-3.98 GHz frequency bands both agreed to buffer zones around 50 airports to reduce interference risks and take other steps to cut potential interference for six months. They also agreed to delay deployment for two weeks until Wednesday, temporarily averting an aviation safety standoff, after previously delaying service by 30 days. Both companies declined comment on Monday and earlier emphasized that C-Band 5G has been successfully deployed in about 40 other countries without aviation interference issues. 

AT&T and Verizon are planning to turn on their 5G service in the US on January 19, unless this process will be blocked by federal regulators or they will reach a deal with airline operators.

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