Multiple US Flight Cancellations Despite 5G Service Launch Delay

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Although the launch of 5th Generation Mobile Communication (5G) near U.S. airports has been postponed again due to concerns over aircraft operation disruptions, a series of flight cancellations to the United States continues. Conflicts and blame-shifting among U.S. telecommunications companies, airlines, and relevant authorities have stalled negotiations, and there are forecasts that the issue could persist until this summer to resolve the technical problems.

According to CNN and others on the 19th (local time), Airlines for America, a U.S. airline industry interest group, stated in a press release that "AT&T and Verizon have decided to temporarily postpone the scheduled launch of 5G services, but some airports are still affected," and urged "the relevant authorities to promptly resolve the issue."

Major airlines from various countries, including Emirates Airlines, British Airways, and Korean Air, held an emergency meeting the previous evening and decided that cancellations and delays of flights to the U.S. are inevitable until the risk of 5G frequency interference is resolved.

The reason airlines are carrying out mass cancellations is that 5G interference can cause malfunctions in automatic landing systems that operate under certain weather conditions such as severe weather, posing a serious threat to flight safety. The frequency bands of 5G and aircraft altimeters are similar, and due to technical issues such as antenna placement, 5G signals can interfere with aircraft altimeters, potentially leading to landing accidents.

Telecommunication companies are shifting responsibility to the authorities. Megan Ketterer, a spokesperson for AT&T, said, "Forty countries worldwide, including Europe, have safely deployed 5G technology without disrupting aviation services, but the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not resolved this."

Stakeholders are continuing negotiations, but the resolution remains uncertain. The U.S. Air Force, which is also affected by this situation, has organized a temporary team to respond independently. U.S. Air Force spokesperson Patrick Gagan said, "The Department of Defense's tests on 5G interference with radar altimeters will begin this month, and results are expected around this summer."

Inside and outside the industry, concerns have been raised about the impact on aircraft models affected by 5G interference, which are representative models operated by global airlines (such as B747, B777), and the potential supply chain damage due to prolonged disruption. Earlier, major U.S. airlines warned in a letter sent to the White House and FAA that "widespread delays of passenger and cargo flights will cause 'catastrophic disruption.'"