The chief executives of major U.S. passenger and cargo carriers on Monday warned of an impending "catastrophic" aviation crisis on Wednesday

Major U.S. airline CEOs warn 5G could ground some planes, wreak havoc

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2022-01-17 20:00:07

The chief executives of major U.S. passenger and cargo carriers on Monday warned of an impending "catastrophic" aviation crisis on Wednesday when AT&T and Verizon are set to deploy new 5G service.

The airlines warned the new C-Band 5G service could potentially make a significant number of widebody aircraft unusable and "could potentially strand tens of thousands of Americans overseas."

"Unless our major hubs are cleared to fly, the vast majority of the traveling and shipping public will essentially be grounded," wrote the chief executives of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and others.

The FAA has warned that potential interference could affect sensitive airplane instruments such as altimeters and impact on low-visibility operations.

"This means that on a day like yesterday, more than 1,100 flights and 100,000 passengers would be subjected to cancellations, diversions or delays," it cautioned.