UAE-US travel: Etihad says flights not affected due to 5G rollout

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways on Wednesday said its operations to the US are not affected by the planned deployment of 5G technology at the American airports.

The UAE’s national carrier currently operates flights to three destinations in the US – New York, Washington DC and Chicago.

Earlier, flagship carrier Emirates announced suspension of flights to nine US destinations from January 19, due to operational concerns associated with the planned deployment of 5G mobile network services at certain airports in the US.

Dubai’s flagship carrier suspended flights to nine US cities – Boston, Chicago, Dallas Fort Worth, Houston, Miami, Newark, Orlando, San Francisco and Seattle – until further notice. But Emirates flights to New York JFK, Los Angeles and Washington DC continue to operate as scheduled.

In a statement sent to Khaleej Times on Wednesday, an Etihad spokesperson said: “Etihad Airways currently operates passenger services to New York, Washington DC, and Chicago on Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The planned deployment of 5G mobile network services in the US does not currently affect our passenger flight operations.”

Interestingly, the UAE telecom firms have successfully rolled out 5G without any incident. But the US regulator – the Federal Aviation Administration – said C-Band strand of 5G could interfere with aviation equipment.

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com