Air India flights to US may need radio filters to counter 5G interference

5G issues unlikely to affect domestic airlines & their operations in India

Boeing 777, Airlines, aviation, flights
FAA last month asked all airlines in the US operating Boeing aircraft to install radio frequency filters before the end of this year on an ‘expedited basis’ | Photo: Shutterstock
Sai Manish New Delhi
3 min read Last Updated : Jul 28 2022 | 6:01 PM IST
As 5G auctions pick up pace in India, airlines in the US are racing against time to retrofit their aircraft with devices that protect against interference from frequencies that may lead to equipment malfunction.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last month asked all airlines in the US operating Boeing aircraft to install radio frequency filters before the end of this year on an “expedited basis” to prevent any disaster arising out of interference from 5G frequencies. The move is likely to impact Air India, the only Indian airline flying to the US from India. However, 5G interference-related issues are unlikely to affect domestic airlines and their operations since India is not auctioning the “problematic bandwidth” that has been red flagged by the US regulator. 

It takes just a few hours to install these filters on planes. A response from the spokesperson of the Tata group, the owner of Air India, is awaited.


In January this year, Air India had cancelled eight flights to the US citing “deployment of 5G communications”. The cancelled flights included those connecting New York, Newark, San Francisco and Chicago with New Delhi.


The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had earlier stated that it was closely working with US regulators to find a solution to the threat posed by 5G technologies to planes.

5G frequencies pose dangers to the functioning of radio altimeters on aircraft. These instruments are crucial to gauge the distance of the plane from the ground. Radio altimeters on commercial aircraft operate in the 4.2 to 4.4 GHz band. This is perilously close to the 3.7 to 3.93 GHz band rolled out in the US as part of that country’s 5G auctions last year.


Earlier this year, the FAA had noted, “The receiver on the radio altimeter is typically highly accurate, however, it may deliver erroneous results in the presence of out-of-band radio frequency emissions from other frequency bands. Out-of-band signals could significantly degrade radio altimeter functions during critical phases of flight, if the altimeter is unable to sufficiently reject those signals.” The regulator had estimated that the interference could affect over 10,500 aircraft in the US and across the world.

Airlines operating at US airports where 5G interference is a threat would have to retrofit planes with radio frequency filters. Airlines in India are not required to. That’s because the Indian government is auctioning 5G spectrum in the 3.2 to 3.6 GHz bandwidth. This is lower than the 4.2 to 4.4 GHz band used by aircraft radio altimeters.

Nations like China, which rolled out 5G before much of the world, use the 4.8-to-5 GHz band to provide the service. This is higher than the bandwidth used by aircraft and eliminates the threat to their equipment.

One subscription. Two world-class reads.

Already subscribed? Log in

Subscribe to read the full story →
Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Quarterly Starter

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

Save 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

Topics :5G5G in IndiaUS FAABoeingJet Airways

Next Story