Many airlines will be unable to meet upcoming deadlines in the United States for aircraft altimeters to be retrofitted, which is crucial to ensure they are not susceptible to 5G interference. The failure to meet the deadline could severely impact the coming Northern hemisphere summer travel season, Iata warns, according to Reuters.
In a communication sent to the Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Iata DG Willie Walsh said many operators would not make the proposed July 2023 (and in some cases the March 2023) retrofit deadline owing to supply chain issues, certification delays, and unavoidable logistical challenges.
"It is critical that we acknowledge and accept that fact and move collectively to change our approach to this issue now, before many carriers are unable to continue to serve the US market during the peak summer travel season.”
In the letter, Iata is representing more than 100 airlines that operate routes to the US. The letter was forwarded on to CEOs of Boeing, Airbus, and other manufacturers.
Worries from the aviation industry about interference from 5G affecting altimeters centre on the instruments’ much-needed ability to send real-time data on an aircraft’s height above the ground. Disruption last year led to a crisis at US airports.
The FAA’s only response publicly to the Iata letter so far has been: “The FAA has made its position clear."
