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5G deployment: Air India curtails US operations, United warns of devastating effect

When deployed next to runways, 5G signals could interfere with the key safety equipment that pilots rely on to take off and land in inclement weather

Air India has curtailed its operations to the US from India in view of deployment of 5G communications by the United States.

“#FlyAI: Due to deployment of 5G communications in USA, our operations to USA from India stand curtailed/revised with change in aircraft type from January 19, 2022. Update in this regard will be informed shortly,” said a tweet from Air India.

United Airlines said the US government’s current 5G rollout plan will have a devastating impact on aviation, negatively affecting an estimated 1.25 million United passengers, at least 15,000 flights and much-needed goods and tonnes of cargo travelling through more than 40 of the largest airports in the country annually.

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When deployed next to runways, the 5G signals could interfere with the key safety equipment that pilots rely on to take off and land in inclement weather, the airlines said in a statement.

“We won’t compromise on safety — full stop. But, governments in other countries have successfully designed policies to ensure the safe deployment of 5G technology and we’re simply asking the US government to do the same. Otherwise, the radio altimeters on certain aircraft, which provide information to other safety systems like autopilot, heads-up displays, terrain warning and pitch control, will be compromised and will result in significant restrictions on 787s, 777s, 737s and regional aircraft in major cities like Houston, Newark, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.”

“Unfortunately, this will result in not only hundreds of thousands of flight cancellations and disruptions for customers across the industry in 2022, but also the suspension of cargo flights into these locations, causing a negative ripple-effect on an already fragile supply chain. We implore the Biden administration to act quickly and apply the same common sense solutions here that have clearly worked so well around the world,” it said.