The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that
interference could delay systems like thrust reversers on Boeing 787s from
kicking in, leaving only the brakes to slow the plane.
That "could prevent an aircraft from stopping on the
runway," the FAA said.
Similar orders could be issued in the coming days for other
planes. The FAA has asked Boeing and Airbus for information about many models.
Boeing said it is working with its suppliers, airlines, telecom companies and
regulators "to ensure that every commercial airplane model can safely and
confidently operate when 5G is implemented in the United States."
The order for the Boeing jets comes a day after the FAA
began issuing restrictions that airlines and other aircraft operators will face
at many airports when AT&T and Verizon launch new, faster 5G wireless
service Wednesday.
The agency is still studying whether those wireless networks
will interfere with altimeters, which measure an aircraft's height above the
ground. Data from altimeters is used to help pilots land when visibility is
poor.
The devices operate on a portion of the radio spectrum that
is close to the range used by the new 5G service, called C-Band.
This week's FAA actions are part of a larger fight between
the aviation regulator and the telecom industry. The telecom companies and the
Federal Communications Commission say 5G networks do not pose a threat to
aviation. The FAA says more study is needed.
The FAA is conducting tests to learn how many commercial
planes have altimeters that might be vulnerable to spectrum interference. The
agency said this week it expects to estimate the percentage of those planes
soon, but didn't put a date on it.
"Aircraft with untested altimeters or that need
retrofitting or replacement will be unable to perform low-visibility landings
where 5G is deployed," the agency said in a statement.
The order regarding Boeing 787s covers 137 planes in the
U.S. and 1,010 worldwide. The 787 is a two-aisle plane that is popular on
longer routes, including many international flights.
The FAA said that based on information from Boeing, the 787s
might not shift properly from flying to landing mode if there is interference,
which could delay the activation of systems that help slow the plane.
AT&T and Verizon have twice agreed to postpone
activating their new networks because of concerns raised by aviation groups and
the FAA, most recently after the FAA and Transportation Secretary Pete
Buttigieg weighed in on the aviation industry's side. Buttigieg and FAA
Administrator Stephen Dickson warned that flights could be canceled or diverted
to avoid potential safety risks.
Under an agreement with the telecom companies, the FAA
designated 50 airports that will have buffer zones in which the companies will
turn off 5G transmitters or make other changes to limit potential interference
through early July.
The 50 include the three major airports in the New York City
area—LaGuardia, JFK and Newark Liberty—O'Hare and Midway in Chicago,
Dallas/Fort Worth International, Bush Intercontinental in Houston, Los Angeles
International and San Francisco.
That concession by the telecoms was modeled after an
approach used in France, although the FAA said last week that France requires
more dramatic reductions in cell-tower reach around airports.
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