FAA estimates 78 % of US planes can now land at airports with 5G C-band

The FAA has announced that an “estimated 78 percent of the U.S. commercial fleet” have been cleared to land at airports with 5G C-band, even beneath low-visibility circumstances. The company’s assertion comes after every week of controversy surrounding the rollout of AT&T and Verizon’s upgraded mobile tech, which noticed US airways warning of “catastrophic disruption” to journey and delivery and a few worldwide airways asserting they’d halt flights to some US airports.

At subject are issues that some radio altimeters gained’t correctly ignore indicators from the brand new 5G transmitters. While there are precautions that ought to maintain this from taking place, together with creating buffer zones round airports, an incorrect altimeter studying may trigger actual issues throughout a low-visibility touchdown.

Given the excessive stakes, the FAA has mentioned that solely planes with altimeters that it has examined and cleared will probably be allowed to land in sub-optimal circumstances at airports the place the brand new 5G tech has rolled out. You can learn our explainer of the state of affairs, which matches into element concerning the last-minute confusion, right here.

On January sixteenth, the company introduced that it had cleared two altimeters, which it bumped as much as 5 on Wednesday. It mentioned the cleared altimeters have been put in in “some” variations of planes just like the Boeing 737, 747, and 777. The FAA modified that language on Thursday, saying that the 13 cleared altimeters ought to cowl “all” Boeing 717, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, 787, MD-10/-11, and Airbus A300, A310, A319, A320, A330, A340, A350, and A380 fashions. It additionally notes that “some” Embraer 170 and 190 regional jets are coated.

The FAA continues to be predicting that some altimeters gained’t cross the check and will probably be “too susceptible to 5G interference.” Planes outfitted with these fashions gained’t be allowed to land at airports with the brand new 5G tech in low-visibility circumstances — which may stop airways from scheduling any flights utilizing these planes to airports of concern, given the unpredictability of climate and the disruption such a diversion would trigger.

The carriers have been annoyed with the FAA and airways for his or her dealing with of the state of affairs. Their rollouts have been delayed a number of instances, and on Tuesday, AT&T put out an announcement lambasting the FAA’s “inability to do what nearly 40 countries have done, which is to safely deploy 5G technology without disrupting aviation services.” Verizon adopted with an analogous assertion that additionally talked about different international locations’ rollouts.

You can learn the FAA’s full assertion on its 5G page, beneath the “FAA Statements on 5G” heading.