British Airways is among the airlines which cancelled US flights over fears the 5G rollout could impact navigation systems onboard some incoming planes.
The action is in response to fears that the activation of the C-band strand of the mobile phone service near American airports on Wednesday could disrupt planes’ navigation systems.
Boeing 777s are thought to be particularly at risk of being affected.
The rollout has gone ahead with 4,500 towers across the country but 500 towers that are near 88 unspecified airports are not being turned on due to fears the frequencies they emit could interfere with aircraft radar technology.
The pause on those towers was only decided yesterday afternoon – by which point some international airlines had cancelled flights using Boeing 777 aircraft.
The introduction of the technology has been halted in some parts of the US but is going ahead elsewhere.
British Airways is among the airlines cancelling US flights over fears the 5G rollout could impact navigation systems onboard some incoming planes. Pictured: British Airways planes
The issue has caused travel chaos at airports with cancelations, staff shortages and a lack of the right planes in the right place at the right time leading to mass disruption.
British Airways cancelled a handful of flights from Heathrow to Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco on Wednesday.
The airline said in a statement: ‘Safety is always our priority and although we had to cancel a handful of services, we’ve done everything we can to minimise inconvenience for our customers. We’ve changed the aircraft operating some of our flights and rebooked those on cancelled services onto alternatives.
‘We’re disappointed that, like other airlines, some of our customers’ travel plans have been disrupted.’
The carrier said some flights due to be operated by Boeing 777s are using different, larger aircraft such as the Airbus A380 to ensure people can still fly on the same day they booked.
Other airlines have made many more cancellations.
This graphic shows how the wireless spectrum used by 5G networks could interfere with altimeters, which measure a plane’s altitude and is especially important for low-visibility ops
Emirates suspended all its flights to nine US airports on Wednesday ‘until further notice’.
The Dubai-based carrier told customers the measure was ‘due to operational concerns associated with the planned deployment of 5G mobile network services in the US at certain airports’.
It added: ‘Emirates regrets any inconvenience caused. We are working closely with aircraft manufacturers and the relevant authorities to alleviate operational concerns, and we hope to resume our US services as soon as possible.’
Other airlines to cancel flights include Air India, Japan-based ANA, Japan Airlines, and Korean Air.
Virgin Atlantic, which does not operate Boeing 777s, said it has not made any cancellations or aircraft type changes.
The concern over 5G in the US relates to its potential effect on aircraft altimeters, which measure altitude.
This does not have an impact on UK airports because the US uses a different frequency for 5G.
It comes as sources told Reuters that US network provider Verizon said it will temporarily not turn on about 500 towers near airports while the carriers and the US Government work on a permanent solution.
But details of the agreement, including the length of the pause for the rollout and a solution, were not disclosed.
Passengers and airlines are bracing for further delays and cancellations as the travel chaos shows no sign of stopping.
Scores of people have now been left stranded at airports, with many complaining on social media about their flights being cancelled due to the 5G rollout.
One passenger, identified as Siddhartha on Twitter, complained that he and other passengers were ‘not happy’ that their Air India flight from Delhi to San Francisco had been cancelled.
Travelers were seen crowded together at Indira Gandhi International Airport as they waited for more news.
Another passenger, identified as Kausi on Twitter, was left frustrated after they were told their Emirates flight to Chicago had been cancelled as soon as she landed in Dubai.
Kausi complained that she and other passengers were not left ‘stuck’ in airports.
A major issue for airlines has been their use of the Boeing 777 model, a long-range, wide-body aircraft, which is said to be particularly affected by the 5G signals.
It has prompted cancellations and a mad dash to change the aircrafts.
British Airways opted to switch aircraft on its daily flight to Los Angeles and will now use an Airbus A380, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Germany’s Lufthansa also swapped out one kind of 747 for another on some US-bound flights.
Check in desks for BA are empty at Terminal 7 at JFK Airport, Queens, New York on January 19
Industry sources said Boeing had issued technical advisories noting potential interference, but that flight restrictions were in the hands of the FAA, which has for now limited operations at key airports unless airlines qualify for special approvals.
A spokesman for Boeing had no immediate comment.
Similar 5G mobile networks have been deployed in dozens of other countries – sometimes with concessions like reducing the power of the networks near airports, as France has done.
But in the US, the issue has pitted the Federal Aviation Administration and the airlines against the Federal Communications Commission and the telecoms companies.
The 5G service uses a segment of the radio spectrum that is close to that used by radio altimeters, which are devices that measure the height of aircraft above the ground and help pilots land in low visibility.
The FCC, which set a buffer between the 5G band and the spectrum that planes use, determined that it could be used safely in the vicinity of air traffic.
AT&T and Verizon have said their equipment will not interfere with aircraft electronics.
But FAA officials saw a potential problem, and the telecom companies agreed to a pause while it is addressed.
AT&T and Verizon on Tuesday agreed to temporarily defer turning on some wireless towers near key airports in a bid to avert further disruption to U.S. flights.
President Joe Biden hailed the agreement, saying it ‘will avoid potentially devastating disruptions to passenger travel, cargo operations, and our economic recovery, while allowing more than 90 percent of wireless tower deployment to occur as scheduled.’
The row erupted on Monday when US airline CEOs begged the Biden administration to stop AT&T and Verizon from rolling out their C-band 5G technology.
The telecoms giants had been planning to launch the technology across the US on Wednesday.
Board shows a British Airways flight from New York to London is among those being cancelled
Both AT&T and Verizon have reluctantly agreed to halt turning on 500 towers of concern until a resolution can be found, in order to avoid a mass cancelation of flights across America and travel chaos that would up end the already distressed supply chain and scupper consumer travel.
It seemed to appease domestic airlines but did not calm international fear.
The FAA has said it will allow planes with accurate, reliable altimeters to operate around high-power 5G. But planes with older altimeters will not be allowed to make landings under low-visibility conditions.
Part of the problem, according to the FAA, is the signal strength of the 5G towers and the orientation of their antennae.
‘Base stations in rural areas of the United States are permitted to emit at higher levels in comparison to other countries which may affect radio altimeter equipment accuracy and reliability,’ the FAA said in December.
The FCC’s chairwoman said in a statement that the 5G ‘deployment can safely co-exist with aviation technologies in the United States, just as it does in other countries around the world.’
Pictured: Altimeters onboard planes are a key tool for pilots landing in low-visibility conditions
The UK’s CAA, the mobile phone industry and Ofcom released statements earlier this month in response to UK concerns. They said they did not share the worries of that in the U.S. at this stage.
A spokesperson for the CAA, the UK equivalent to the FAA, said: ‘We are aware of reports that suggest that the frequency band being used for 5G in a number of countries could potentially pose a risk of interference with aircraft radio altimeters.
‘There have been no reported incidents of aircraft systems being affected by 5G transmissions in U.K. airspace, but we are nonetheless working with Ofcom and the Ministry of Defence to make sure that the deployment of 5G in the UK does not cause any technical problems for aircraft.’
A spokesperson for Ofcom said: ‘We’re aware that the aviation sector is looking at this; we’ve done our own technical analysis and are yet to see any evidence that would give us cause for concern.’
Gareth Elliott, head of policy and communications at Mobile UK, which represents mobile networks, said: ‘The UK’s mobile network operators follow all health and safety guidelines and engage with a variety of industries on interference.
‘Mobile operators are actively coordinating with the aviation authorities to ensure no interference in the UK.’
