PA Air Travel Likely To Be Disrupted By 5G Service Debut

PENNSYLVANIA — As wireless carriers roll out 5G service that the aviation industry is predicting could trigger significant travel and shipping disruptions, the state's two busiest airports will have temporary buffer zones around them restricting the new coverage.

AT&T and Verizon Wireless agreed to the six-month buffer zones around Philadelphia International, Pittsburgh International and 48 other airports across the country. The zones provide planes with 20 seconds of 5G signal-free time during their landing.

The 5G service, which wireless carrier contend will allow for faster internet speeds for mobile phones and allow people to connect more devices to the Internet at faster speeds, debuts on Wednesday.

The buffer zones were established after the Federal Aviation Administration expressed concern the new service could interfere with some aircraft equipment. The primary issue is with aircraft altimeters that measure a plan's altitude and are critical for pilots attempting to land in low-visibility conditions such as rain or fog.

The FAA already has warned pilots of Boeing 787s to take extra precautions when landing on slick runways where the 5G service is in use. The FAA warned in a recent statement that 5G interference with the aircraft's altimeter could keep the engine and brake systems from shifting to landing mode; that could prevent the planes from stopping on the runway.

AT&T told USA Today on Tuesday it has voluntarily agreed to delay turning on a limited number of additional towers around certain airport runways since the aviation industry and FAA 'have not utilized the two years they've had to responsibly plan for this deployment."

Industry trade organization Airlines for America wrote to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and other federal officials on Monday warning that "huge swaths" of the nation's operating fleet could need to be indefinitely grounded when the new service is implemented. The letter was signed by the by the CEOs of Delta, American, United, Southwest, FedEx, UPS and others.

"The ripple effects across both passenger and cargo operations, our workforce and the broader economy are simply incalculable," the letter stated. "Every one of the passenger and cargo carriers will be struggling to get people, shipments, planes and crews where they need to
be. To be blunt, the nation’s commerce will grind to a halt."

The FAA said in a statement on its website that it will continue to ensure that the traveling public is safe as wifeless companies deploy 5G. "The FAA continues to work with the aviation industry and wireless companies to try to limit 5G-related flight delays and cancellations," the statement said.

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