Air travel woes over July 4 holiday could have another troublesome connection: 5G signals

 

On Saturday, wireless carriers are anticipated to turn on new 5G systems close to major airports, posing a fresh source of interruptions for airline customers who have already experienced tens of thousands of weather-related flight delays this week.

For years, aviation organizations have warned that 5G signals may interfere with aircraft equipment, particularly with devices that use radio waves to calculate distance above the ground and are essential for landing in low visibility.

When telecom operators started implementing the new service last year, predictions that interference would result in widespread flight cancellations failed to materialize. After that, they decided to restrict the signal strength near congested airports, giving airlines an extra year to update their aircraft.

The head of the biggest pilots union in the country predicted that crews will be able to handle the effects of 5G, but he criticized the process for awarding wireless licenses, saying it had increased unneeded danger in the aviation industry.

A small fraction of the nation's fleet has not been upgraded to protect against recent threats, according to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who recently warned airlines that flights may be impacted.