In anticipation of the availability of upgraded C-band 5G equipment from AT&T and Verizon, airlines appeared to be panicking.
See also: FAA: 5G does not affect most US planes
But just days after the carriers checked their equipment, the CEOs of United and American Airlines told investors that things appeared to be going largely well, according to CNN. Large-scale delays and cancellations did not occur, and the CEO of American Airlines reportedly predicted: “I don’t think you’ll see any disruption to our services in the future because of this.”
However, while many of the large aircraft used by major airlines have been deemed safe by the FAA, the same does not apply to smaller regional planes, which are used for domestic flights or that land at smaller airports.
See also: Airlines cancel flights due to 5G
The problem centers around a device that almost every aircraft is equipped with: the radar, or radio altimeter. Its job is to figure out how far the plane is from the ground and help pilots land in bad weather or low visibility conditions.
Given that altimeters are so critical, the FAA has taken the concerns very seriously that they could receive inappropriate signals from the 5G C‑Band network.
However, according to Faye Malarkey Black, the president and CEO of the Regional Airlines Association, “about 53 percent of the regional fleet” is either uninspected or has limited permits that don’t include many airports.
See also: NSA and CISA share guidance on securing 5G cloud infrastructure
This has already happened at Paine Field, a small airport north of Seattle, Washington. On Monday, all flights scheduled to take off or land at the airport were canceled due to fog. The planes landing at PAE are Embraer 175s, according to the Seattle Times, and the radio altimeter on these planes only works properly if it is within a certain distance of the C-Band towers.
As for what should be done regarding the development of 5G and its impact on flights, Black repeatedly called telecom and airline companies to cooperate to ensure that the C‑Band could be deployed without creating more problems with the FAA.
