The Biden administration says it’s in talks to prevent flight disruptions over 5G rollout

A commercial aircraft approaches to land at San Diego International Airport as U.S. telecom companies, airlines and the FAA continue to discuss the potential impact of 5G wireless services on aircraft electronics in San Diego, California, U.S., January 6, 2022.

The White House said it is working with airlines, wireless providers and federal agencies on a solution to a dispute over the roll out of 5G service that could cause airlines to cancel flights.

A White House official said that the administration is engaged with the FAA, FCC, wireless carriers, airlines, and aviation equipment manufacturers to reach a solution that maximizes 5G deployment while protecting air safety and minimizing disruptions to passenger travel, cargo operations, and our economic recovery.

Aviation industry executives have been warning for weeks about the potential for flight disruptions due to the new service. People familiar with the airlines plans said that some flights could be canceled as early as Tuesday. The CEOs of passenger and cargo carriers wrote to the Biden administration on Monday to stop the service from being rolled out within 2 miles of the airport runways.

The FAA warned that the fifth generation C-band service could interfere with certain equipment used for low-visibility landings. The spectrum is next to the band used by aircraft.

It was not clear if the agreement would prevent disruptions. 45% of the country's commercial fleet was cleared by the FAA to fly after 5G is deployed.

In a letter to the White House and heads of the FAA, FCC and Transportation Department, airline CEOs said that modern aircraft use radio altimeters for a variety of safety systems and that those planes could be grounded.

The CEOs of Delta, United, Southwest, American and the heads of the aviation arms of FedEx wrote a letter saying that the lack of usable widebody aircraft could strand tens of thousands of Americans overseas.

United warned about delays at major hubs like Houston, Newark, New Jersey and Chicago and said 15,000 flights a year could be affected.

The Biden administration was urged to act quickly and apply the same common sense solutions that have worked so well around the world.

The CEO of JetBlue Airways wrote to staff on Monday that it was unclear if an agreement could be reached to modify the 5G roll out.

AT&T didn't comment. The company didn't comment immediately.