Wireless carriers including Verizon and AT&T use a part of the radio spectrum called C-Band, which is close to frequencies used by radio altimeters, for their new 5G service. JetBlue did not respond to requests for comment but told The Wall Street Journal it expected to retrofit 17 smaller Airbus jets by October, with possible 'limited impact' some days in Boston. The airline's Boeing jets have upgraded altimeters, as do all Delta Connection planes, which are operated by Endeavor Air, Republic Airways and SkyWest Airlines, the airline said. The Delta planes that have not been retrofitted include several models of Airbus jets. The airline plans to route the 190 planes carefully to limit the risk of canceling flights or forcing planes to divert from airports where visibility is low because of fog or low clouds. The airline does not expect to cancel any flights because of the issue, Delta said Friday.

Delta says 190 of its planes, which include most of its smaller ones, still lack upgraded altimeters because its supplier has been unable to provide them fast enough. American, Southwest, Alaska, Frontier and United say all of their planes have height-measuring devices, called radio altimeters, that are protected against 5G interference.įILE - A Delta Air Lines jet prepares to land at Los Angeles International Airport, in Los Angeles, March 15, 2022.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg recently told airlines that flights could be disrupted because a small portion of the nation's fleet has not been upgraded to protect against radio interference. The leader of the nation's largest pilots' union said crews will be able to handle the impact of 5G, but he criticized the way the wireless licenses were granted, saying it had added unnecessary risk to aviation. They then agreed to limit the power of the signals around busy airports, giving airlines an extra year to upgrade their planes.

Predictions that interference would cause massive flight groundings failed to come true last year, when telecom companies began rolling out the new service. Airline passengers who have endured tens of thousands of weather-related flight delays this week could face a new source of disruptions starting Saturday, when wireless providers are expected to power up new 5G systems near major airports.Īviation groups have warned for years that 5G signals could interfere with aircraft equipment, especially devices using radio waves to measure distance from the ground and which are critical when planes land in low visibility.

Salt lake city airport weather