Flights cancelled over 5G roll-out

DALLAS (AP):

Some flights to and from the United States were cancelled on Wednesday even after AT&T and Verizon scaled back the roll-out of high-speed wireless service that could interfere with aircraft technology that measures altitude.

Carriers that rely heavily on the wide-body Boeing 777 cancelled flights or switched to different planes following warnings from the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing.

But airlines that solely or mostly fly Airbus jets, including Air France and Ireland’s Aer Lingus, seemed unaffected by the new 5G service.

Airlines for America, a trade group, said cancellations were limited because telecom providers agreed to temporarily reduce the roll-out of 5G near airports while industry and the government work out a longer-term solution.

US officials had said that even with the concession, there could be some cancellations and delays because of the way 5G affected equipment on certain planes.