© Reuters.
By David Sheparson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Proposed U.S. requirements to adapt aircraft altimeters to ensure they are not susceptible to 5G wireless interference could cost the industry at least $637 million, the airline trade body said on Thursday. biggest in the world.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents more than 100 airlines that fly to the United States, said in comments filed with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that the costs would be much higher than the $26 million estimated by the FAA. agency.
The group warned last week that many airlines risk missing deadlines. He said Thursday: “One can expect flight disruptions after the March and July deadlines unless the FAA and the US government take a different approach to this interference problem.”
The FAA proposed in January to require passenger and cargo aircraft in the United States to have 5G C-band tolerant radio altimeters or approved filters by early 2024. The agency said Thursday it will evaluate all feedback.
Concerns that 5G service could interfere with aircraft altimeters, which provide data on a plane’s height above the ground and are crucial for landing in bad weather, led to outages at some US airports last year. past involving international airlines.
Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:) and AT&T Inc (NYSE:) voluntarily agreed in June to delay the use of 5G C-band until July 2023 while airlines work to modernize aircraft to ensure they are free from interference.
IATA said the costs per plane are higher than the FAA estimated and said it should include the costs of 6,000 already refurbished planes and unregistered US planes that will be affected.
“Carriers around the world are being forced to invest millions of dollars to modernize their US-bound fleet while relying on the goodwill of carriers who refused to accept that 5G C-band interference existed in first place,” IATA said.
“The aviation industry, rather than the (Federal Communications Commission) or telecommunications companies, is being told to pay to upgrade their certified radio altimeters. The injustice of this cannot be overstated.”
Wireless carriers spent more than $80 billion on C-band 5G spectrum, including $52.9 billion from Verizon in auction and compensation costs. The FCC, AT&T and Verizon had no immediate comment.
On February 2, IATA said many airlines will miss update deadlines, citing “supply chain issues, certification delays and unavoidable logistical challenges.”
