5G and a cloudy day could spell trouble for some flights in the U.S. soon. Starting next month, any planes that don’t have retrofitted sensitive radar altimeters will be prevented from landing if visibility is too poor. The reason is 5G.
Carriers will be increasing the power of their 5G networks beginning July 1, and any altimeters that haven’t been upgraded could be affected by the stronger signals, making it dangerous for aircraft to rely on them for landing. And while the majority of U.S. airlines have upgraded their planes, there are a few that won’t make the deadline.
Delta Air Lines reported that it will have roughly 190 planes that still need the updated altimeters as of July 1, while JetBlue will have 17. Supply chain issues are reportedly to blame for the delays. “There's a real risk of delays or cancellations,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. “This represents one of the biggest — probably the biggest— foreseeable problem affecting performance this summer.”
