Airlines Have Until 2024 To Make 5G Upgrades Under FAA AD
The proposed airworthiness directive would require passenger and cargo aircraft in the U.S. be equipped with 5G C-Band tolerant altimeters by next February.
The FAA has proposed a requirement that passenger and cargo aircraft in the U.S. be equipped with 5G C-Band tolerant altimeters by 2024. [Credit: Adobe Stock]
Key Takeaways:
The FAA has proposed a mandatory Airworthiness Directive (AD) requiring U.S. passenger and cargo aircraft to be equipped with 5G C-Band tolerant altimeters or radio frequency filters by February 2024.
This directive aims to resolve persistent 5G interference with aircraft radio altimeters, critical for safe operations and low-visibility landings, despite previous voluntary mitigation efforts by wireless carriers.
The AD stipulates that unretrofitted aircraft will be prohibited from performing low-visibility landings after June 30, 2023, urging aviation operators to complete the necessary upgrades.
The FAA is proposing an airworthiness directive (AD) that would require passenger and cargo aircraft in the U.S. be equipped with 5G C-Band tolerant altimeters or appropriate radio frequency filters by February 2024.
According to a statement sent to FLYING, “the proposed AD will continue to allow aviation and the 5G C-Band to safely coexist.”
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.