5G expansion causing airline disruptions in US, Boeing 777 aircraft gets clearance

Following a technical issue that hampered the introduction of 5G services in the country, Air India resumed flying operations on Boeing 777 aircraft to the United States on Thursday. The airline has given the approval to fly flights on its B777 aircraft, according to a statement made by the carrier.

In a statement, Air India said, “Boeing has cleared AI to operate to the USA on B777. The first flight left this morning to JFK. Other flights leaving in the day are to Chicago and SFO. Arrangements to carry stranded pax are being worked out. Matter regarding B777 flying into USA has been sorted.”

At least eight B777 flights to major US cities, including Chicago, Newark, New York, and San Francisco, have been canceled by Air India. For these routes, the airline has stated that it would try to switch to different aircraft.

According to an Associated Press report, airlines had cancelled more than 320 flights to and from the United States by Wednesday evening as a result of warnings from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that the rollout of high-speed wireless service was interfering with aircraft technology that measures altitude.

According to FlightAware, this accounts for just over 2% of the total in the United States.

"It is important to fully understand and reduce potential 5G signal interference with radio altimeters that are integral to aircraft security systems. We understand that the activation of these services is a part of India's select Coming soon in cities," In a letter dated January 4, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) raised alarm.

The FIP also stated that if 5G is implemented, pilots may encounter safety concerns when flying.

AT&T and Verizon, two major US telecommunications companies, declared that they would halt 5G deployment around major airports until the problem was resolved.

The United States is not the first country to offer 5G services; similar mobile networks have been installed in more than a third of the world's countries. The US networks, on the other hand, are constructed in such a way that it has prompted concerns about potential complications for airlines.

In a statement, Boeing said it would work with airlines, the FAA, and others to guarantee that all aircraft can fly safely when 5G is implemented in the United States.