What’s
the Big Deal About Airlines & 5G? An Explainer
Two simple
characters are throwing the airline industry into disarray: 5G.
Welcome to the
debate over the latest expansion of faster wireless service that has consumed
the airline industry for weeks – if not months. Talk to the likes of Verizon
and AT&T, and their latest 5G technology is the future, promising faster
network speeds to more Americans. But ask the airlines, and it could threaten
the safety of the entire industry.
After several
delays, this new 5G expansion goes live today, Wednesday, Jan. 19 … but not
without some fireworks. Despite some changes to satisfy the airline industry’s
concerns, carriers are warning about flight disruptions due to interference.
Some foreign airlines have canceled nearly all their flights to the U.S. due to concerns.
So what’s going
on? What’s all the drama about – and what does it mean for travelers now that
this new technology is finally getting off the ground?
Why is 5G a Problem?
For starters, it’s
not just any 5G network that’s at issue here. We’ve had 5G cellular networks in
the U.S. for many years.
The entire debate
is all about 5G C-Band technology, which operates at a different frequency that
allows drastically faster download speeds and more coverage nationwide. According to Forbes, many Americans
will see 10x faster speeds on their cellular devices.
So what’s the
issue?
That brand new 5G
frequency Verizon and AT&T are using operates at a frequency dangerously
close to the same frequency that a critical instrument onboard planes uses.
It’s called a radio altimeter, which pilots use to measure their distance above
the ground while taking off and landing. It’s particularly important for
landing during inclement weather, when clouds and other low visibility makes an
accurate reading paramount.
The Department of
Transportation and the FAA have said that radio signal interference created by
these new 5G networks could pose a risk to flight safety and cause disruptions.
If airlines can’t count on their altimeters functioning properly when there’s
bad weather at an airport, that flight could be delayed or canceled.
The two sides have
been debating the issue for years, trying to address those safety concerns
while moving ahead.
Why Hasn’t This Been an Issue
Elsewhere?
Cellular network
companies have pointed to successful deployments of the new 5G networks in
France and dozens of other countries to insist that airlines and the FAA are
simply being dramatic.
While it’s true
that similar 5G C-Band networks have been launched, the problem is all in the
numbers.
Whether you’re
talking about cellular signals or radio altimeter readings, these pieces of
technology all operate on a spectrum of radio frequencies. Getting a clear
signal is all about ensuring there’s enough buffer between different signals.
If not, you may get interference – just like on your car radio when you start
to hear channels bleed over.
Reuters spells it out in clear
terms: The frequencies AT&T and Verizon are using for their faster cell
service are simply closer to what pilots depend on than what we’ve seen
deployed elsewhere.
Aviation
altimeters typically use frequencies in the range of 4.2 GHz to 4.4 GHz. Over in France and across much of Europe, 5G service
providers use 3.4 GHz to 3.8 GHz frequencies. In South Korea, 5G networks use
3.42 GHz to 3.7 GHz signals.
Here in the U.S.,
Verizon and AT&T paid tens of billions of dollars for their next 5G
deployment … at 3.7 GHz
to 3.98 GHz.
For airlines,
that’s simply too close for comfort.
What’s Happening Now?
We’ve seen lots of
bluster from both airlines and telecommunications companies as 5G deployment
dates have drawn near.
After a month-long
pause last year to iron out the final issues, both AT&T and Verizon were
ready to launch this new 5G C-Band network earlier this month. But after
pleading from the airlines and the FAA, both companies agreed to a two-week
pause, buying time for a compromise ahead of Wednesday’s new launch date.
Clearly, that
didn’t happen.
With the clock
ticking and airlines still sounding the alarm, AT&T and Verizon agreed on
Tuesday to hold off deploying the new signal around 50 major U.S. airports.
“As the nation’s
leading wireless provider, we have voluntarily decided to limit our 5G network
around airports,” Verizon said in a statement. “The Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) and our nation’s airlines have not been able to fully
resolve navigating 5G around airports, despite it being safe and fully
operational in more than 40 other countries.”
But is that
enough?
Will Flights Get Canceled?
After weeks
of mass cancellations and delays driven by winter weather and staff shortages, American
travelers are weary of any more disruption. Despite the network providers’
move to limit 5G around many airports, airlines are warning there may be more
disruptions to come.
In a statement Tuesday,
Delta Air Lines warned travelers that low visibility due to weather in the
southeastern U.S. could force the airline to alter some flights where landings
could be impaired.
“While this is a
positive development toward preventing widespread disruptions to flight
operations, some flight restrictions may remain,” Delta said of Tuesdays’ news.
Some foreign
airlines went much farther.
On Tuesday, Emirates announced it would pause all but three of its routes to and from the U.S. “until further notice.” Flights to
New York City (JFK), Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD), and Los Angeles (LAX) would
continue, but service to nine other U.S. cities including Chicago-O’Hare (ORD),
Seattle (SEA), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), and Atlanta (ATL) has been scrubbed
from their schedule.
Other airlines
including Japanese carriers Japan Airlines and ANA as well as Air India have
also temporarily paused several U.S. routes. Each airline faulted safety
concerns with interference from 5G on their Boeing 777 planes.
By Wednesday
morning, those airlines had restored some – but not all – of those flights.
Why Are They Just Dealing With This
Now?
That’s the $1
million question.
This latest 5G
deployment has been in the works for more than a year. But airlines and the
wireless service providers have been playing a game of chicken, hoping the
other side will move farther first – with government agencies like the FAA and
the Federal Communications Commission acting as intermediaries.
Things began to
come to a head last month as the launch date approached. In a mid-December U.S.
Senate hearing, CEOs from the nation’s four largest airlines almost unanimously
said the 5G issue was the most pressing problem facing the industry.
“It would be a
catastrophic failure of government,” United CEO Scott Kirby told Reuters after that
hearing.
But both AT&T
and Verizon have largely brushed off any safety concerns as fearmongering,
pointing to problem-free deployments of this new 5G C-Band over in Europe and
elsewhere.
In the midst of
their heated debate last month, Airlines for America said 5G deployment could
affect “approximately 345,000 passenger flights, 32 million passengers, and
5,400 cargo flights … in the form of delayed flights, diversions, or
cancellations,” citing an analysis of 2019 flights.
What Happens Next?
We’ll have to wait
and see if this new 5G service causes issues in the air travel industry even
with a pause in deploying it around many airports.
AT&T and
Verizon agreed to delay that launch until this summer. But if there are
problems in the meantime, it could force the telecommunications companies to
make more concessions, like reducing the signal strength around airports even
more than they already have agreed to.
If the FAA can’t
find a solution that works for both sides, AT&T and Verizon are likely to
put up a pretty big fight: They’ve already poured billions of dollars worth of
infrastructure and years’ worth of time into launching these new networks.
From the airlines’
perspective, the consequences for moving ahead without a compromise could be
bad for flyers with even worse flight delays and disruptions when bad weather
hits.
Bottom Line
It’s the battle
between the cell phone and the airplane. And it isn’t over yet.
The airline
industry and wireless network operators have been going back and forth over
this latest 5G technology – not for months, but for years. It pits the cell
phone companies’ multi-billion-dollar push to improve network speeds against
the fears of flight disruption and safety.
We can only hope
things go smoothly as new 5G service rolls out … and that the two sides play
nice in finding a long-term solution.
Thrifty Traveler editor Kyle
Potter contributed to this report.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Delta Air Lines Rebuilds Fleet Modernization
Plans
CONTRIBUTOR
PUBLISHED
rior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) planned
to modernize its fleet at an aggressive pace in the early 2020s. However, the
pandemic forced management to dial those plans back dramatically to reduce
capital expenditures (capex) while matching the fleet size to demand.
By contrast, Delta's recently released 2021 annual report
highlighted how the full-service airline is
ramping up its fleet upgrade plans again. Let's take a look.
Delta
tightens its purse strings
As of the end of 2019, Delta planned to take delivery of 66 new
mainline jets annually in 2020, 2021, and 2022. It expected to spend over $10
billion on aircraft purchases over that three-year period. Including
non-aircraft spending, that would have put annual capex well above $4 billion.
The onset of the pandemic caused management to rethink those
plans. Delta Air Lines ultimately deferred more than half of its planned 2020
aircraft deliveries, adding just 30 new mainline jets to its fleet that year.
Additionally, Delta cut back on its planned aircraft purchases for the
following years. As of a year ago, the company expected to take delivery of 33
new mainline aircraft in 2021, followed by 39 deliveries each in 2022 and 2023.
This order book restructuring reduced planned capex between 2020 and 2022 by
over $5 billion, helping to safeguard Delta's balance sheet.
Ramping
up deliveries again
With air travel demand recovering rapidly, Delta Air Lines took
all 33 mainline jets on its delivery schedule for 2021 -- and then some. During
the year, the airline agreed to buy 29 used Boeing 737-900ERs
and lease nine Airbus A350-900s.
About half of those aircraft arrived by year-end, although they have to be
refurbished before entering service for Delta.
Read More at: https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/delta-air-lines-rebuilds-fleet-modernization-plans
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Bless each of you.
Tony P apapandrea@cfl.rr.com
Life is Good
In God We Trust
Great
repeat,make the time to watch.
This
occurred quite some time ago but remains relevant. See Letter from an Airline Pilot
(snopes.com)
AN AIRLINE CAPTAIN'S REPORT
The American flag does not fly because the wind moves past it......
The American flag flies from the last breath of each military
member who has died serving it."
AIRLINE CAPTAIN - You will not regret reading this one. I Promise
My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. on this
flight." (H.R. stands for Human Remains.)
"Are they military?" I asked.
'Yes', she said.
'Is there an escort?' I asked.
'Yes, I've already assigned him a seat'.
'Would you please tell him to come to the Flight Deck. You can board him
early," I said...
A short while later a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was
the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his
soldier.
The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive
and still with us. 'My soldier is on his way back to Virginia,' he
said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.
I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no.
I told him that he had the toughest job in the military, and that I
appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen
soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his
hand. He left the Flight Deck to find his seat.
We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful
departure. About 30 minutes into our flight, I received a call from the
lead flight attendant in the cabin.
'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is also on board',
she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and
2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home.
The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the
soldier was in before we left.
We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four
hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia. The father of the
soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the
cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the
family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything
that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family
wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the
airplane.
I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me
if there was anything I could do. 'I'm on it', I said. I told her that I
would get back to her.
Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail
like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight
dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in
the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the
dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the
situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He
said he understood and that he would get back to me..
Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going
to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text
message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the
dispatcher and the following is the text:
'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy
on this now, and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a
dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft.. The team will escort the
family to the ramp and plane side.. A van will be used to load the
remains with a secondary van for the family.
The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the
terminal, where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area
for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family
will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded
for the final leg home.
Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our
condolences on to the family. Thanks.
I sent a message back, telling flight control thanks for a good job. I
printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to
the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You
have no idea how much this will mean to them.'
Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After
landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is
huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy
area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we
entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all
traffic was being held for us.
'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told. It looked
like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat
belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from
getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot
to tell the ramp controller, we were going to stop short of the gate to make an
announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said,
'Take your time.'
I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed
the public address button and said: 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your
Captain speaking: I have stopped short of our gate to make a special
announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and
respect. His name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his
life. Private XXXXXX s under your feet in the cargo hold.
Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXX. Also, on board are his
father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for
all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the
aircraft first. Thank you.'
We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown
procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I
found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not
see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the
aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the
family to exit the aircraft.
When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to
clap his hands. Moments later, more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was
clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered
to the family as they made their way
down the aisle and out of the
airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be
with their loved one.
Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just
words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave
soldier.
I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women
have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of AMERICA.
Foot note:
I know everyone who reads this will have tears in their eyes, including me.
Prayer chain for our Military.. Don't break it! Please send this on after
a short prayer for our service men and women.
Don't break it!
They die for me and mine and you and yours and deserve our honor and respect.
Prayer Request: When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a
prayer for our troops around the world... There is nothing attached. Just
send this to people in your address book. Do not let it stop with
you. Of all the gifts you could give a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman,
and others deployed in harm's way, prayer is the very best one.
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