DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) is attempting to resolve the situation, which has resulted in the cancellation of 14 international routes to the United States by Air India. Following the implementation of 5G connectivity in North America, which could result in a reduction in aircraft tracking capabilities, Air India has cancelled 14 flights on India-US routes, effective Wednesday, according to the airline. The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Arun Kumar, told the Press Trust of India that the Indian aviation authority was working “in close coordination with our airlines” to address the situation created by the deployment of 5G technology across the United States.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States had stated on January 14 that “5G interference with the aircraft’s radio altimeter could prevent engine and braking systems from transitioning to landing mode, which could prevent an aircraft from stopping on the runway.” The altimeter is a device that measures the height of an aircraft above the ground. The band on which the altimeter operates is very close to the band on which the 5G system operates. At the moment, only three airlines — American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and Air India — offer direct flights between India and the United States of America. This matter was not addressed by American Airlines or Delta Airlines, which did not respond to PTI’s inquiries. Air India has cancelled eight flights on Wednesday and six flights on Thursday, which were scheduled to take off on those days, respectively.
“Due to the deployment of 5G communications in the United States,” the airline stated on Twitter, it would not be operating eight India-US flights on Wednesday. Flights between Delhi and New York, New York and Delhi, Delhi-Chicago, Chicago-Delhi, Delhi-San Francisco, San Francisco-Delhi, Delhi-Newark, and Newark-Delhi were among the eight Air India flights. In the later part of the day, officials from Air India announced that a total of six India-US flights scheduled to operate on Thursday have been cancelled as well. Delhi-Chicago, Chicago-Delhi, Delhi-San Francisco, San Francisco-Delhi, Delhi-Newark, and Newark-Delhi are the six flights that were scheduled to operate on Thursday but were cancelled.