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Air India among airlines skipping US airports over 5G safety dispute
Air India joined at least nine other international airlines that have modified or cancelled flights to the US amid conflicting reports on what new 5G cell phone services can do to critical airplane technologies.
Carriers are taking a variety of approaches to the spiraling crisis. Air India, Emirates, All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa and British Airways have announced changes to some of their flights.
Air India said it would suspend the service between Delhi and San Francisco, Chicago and JFK as well as a Mumbai to Newark flight. It will continue to fly into Washington Dulles.
Both ANA and Japan Airlines said they cancelled some flights scheduled to use Boeing 777 aircraft, but will operate some flights using Boeing 787s instead.
Emirates suspended flights into Boston, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas Fort Worth, George Bush Intercontinental in Houston, Miami, Newark, Orlando, San Francisco and Seattle.A
Emirates continued flying into New York’s John F. Kennedy airport, Los Angeles International and Washington Dulles.
Lufthansa cancelled a flight between Frankfurt and Miami and said it would swap Boeing 747-8 aircraft for 747-400s on flights from Frankfurt to Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco.
CNN Business quoted a British Airways spokesman that the airline “had to make a handful of cancellations” because a decision by telecom operators to delay activating the new 5G service at some locations didn’t cover all the airports the airline serves.
Virgin Atlantic and Air France-KLM said they had not cancelled any flights but were monitoring the situation.
Delta Air Lines said it is planning for the possibility of weather-related cancellations as early as Wednesday due to the new 5G service in the vicinity of dozens of US airports.
US air transport regulator, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has been concerned that the version of 5G that was scheduled to be switched on could interfere with some airplane instruments. Some aviation industry groups shared those fears. This is despite reassurances from federal telecom regulators and well as wireless carriers.
Specifically, the FAA has been worried that 5G cellular antennas near some airports – not air mobile devices – could throw off readings from some aircraft equipment designed to tell pilots how far they are from the ground.
The systems, radar altimeters, are used throughout a flight and are considered critical. (Radar altimeters differ from standard altimeters, which rely on air pressure readings and do not use radio signals to gauge altitude.)
In December, the FAA had forbidden pilots from using the potentially affected altimeters around airports where low-visibility conditions would otherwise require them.
That new rule could keep planes from getting to some airports in certain circumstances, because pilots would be unable to land using instruments alone.
“We are frustrated by the FAA’s inability to do what nearly 40 countries have done, which is to safely deploy 5G technology without disrupting aviation services, and we urge it to do so in a timely manner,” an AT&T spokesperson said.
Earlier this week, mobile carriers AT&T and Verizon agreed to pause the rollout of the new high-speed 5G wireless service near major airports.
The Biden administration welcomed the halt, saying this “will avoid potentially devastating disruptions to passenger travel, cargo operations, and our economic recovery, while allowing more than 90 per cent of wireless tower deployment to occur as scheduled.”
“While this is a positive development toward preventing widespread disruptions to flight operations, some flight restrictions may remain,” Delta said.
In a Tuesday letter, CEOs from some airlines told the Biden administration to push back the already-delayed rollout.
Airlines estimate 1,000 flight disruptions per day because of possible interference with radar altimeters that pilots use to land in low visibility conditions.
The telecom industry has not commented on the CEOs letter, but has said fears are unfounded since there have not been problems in other countries where 5G is already deployed.
According to a service map by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), areas in California, Florida, New England, Texas and the midwest will gain 5G coverage. But aviation groups warn that it could jeopardize some of the largest airports, including in Los Angeles, New York and Houston.
The 5G signals will travel over radio frequencies that are collectively known as the C-Band. This band of airwaves is attractive to wireless carriers because it offers a good balance between cellular range and capacity – two key features of any wireless network. (Other sets of airwaves besides the C-Band are also used to carry 5G, but the current debate focuses on just the C-Band frequencies.)
On the spectrum of radio frequencies used for wireless communications, the C-Band sits right next to the band of frequencies used by the aircraft altimeters. The two are intentionally separated by a so-called guard band – essentially “blank” airwaves – to safeguard against interference.
To further address any aircraft risks, Verizon and AT&T have offered in November to limit the power of their 5G antennas and to take other precautionary measures.
But that hasn’t been enough to allay the concerns of the FAA, whose 11th-hour order would have “an enormous negative impact on the aviation industry,” the CEOs of Boeing and Airbus wrote in a letter Monday to the Department of Transportation.
The CEOs added: “We agree that 5G interference could adversely affect the ability of aircraft to safely operate.”
The letter cites an estimate published by the industry group Airlines for America, which predicts the FAA restrictions will disrupt 345,000 passenger flights, 32 million passengers and 5,400 cargo flights. The FAA’s own order estimates that 6,800 US airplanes could be affected by the plan, along with 1,800 helicopters.
Technology experts say that while 5G antennas could theoretically lead to interference around airports, the potential for interference is an ever-present feature of all wireless communications – not just 5G – and that so far regulators around the world have done a good job of handling it.
New Delhi, Nov 13: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Maninder Sidhu, Canada’s Minister of International Trade, discussed ways to further boost bilateral trade and promote investments, it was announced on Thursday.
Sidhu is in India to find opportunities to advance trade and investment linkages between the two nations.
“It was a pleasure to co-chair the 7th India-Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment as part of the New Roadmap 2025 along with @MSidhuLiberal, Canada’s Minister of International Trade,” Goyal posted on the X social media platform.
The minister further stated that they discussed “avenues to strengthen bilateral trade, promote investments and deepen cooperation between our countries”.
During his India visit, Sidhu is set to promote Canada’s commitment to supporting and growing the well-established commercial ties shared by Canada and India, including artificial intelligence, clean technology and digital industries, and explore new opportunities for partnerships that benefit workers and businesses in both countries.
“This visit to India will reinforce Canada’s commitment to diversifying our trade relationships and attracting new investment,” an official statement quoting Sidhu said. “As one of the fastest-growing major economies, India offers significant opportunities for Canadian businesses and workers. Our commercial ties continue to expand — bilateral trade surpassed $30 billion in 2024 — and there is even greater potential ahead,” the statement added.
India is a key partner as Canada strengthens its economic links in the Indo-Pacific region under a comprehensive strategy for the region. In 2024, India was Canada’s seventh-largest goods and services trading partner, with two-way trade valued at $30.9 billion.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar and his Canadian counterpart, Anita Anand, held discussions on strengthening cooperation across key sectors, including trade, energy and security. Both leaders met on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Niagara.
EAM Jaishankar also praised the progress made under the New Roadmap 2025, aimed at enhancing bilateral ties between India and Canada and expressed hope for rebuilding a stronger partnership.
New Delhi, Nov 13: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Manoj Gaur, Managing Director of Jaypee Infratech Limited, in a money laundering case linked to the alleged siphoning of money paid by homebuyers for the construction of flats, according to sources on Thursday.
The Enforcement Directorate had in May carried out searches at 15 premises linked to Manoj Gaur’s flagship real estate development companies — Jaypee Infratech Ltd., and Jayprakash Associates Ltd, as well as their associated entities.
During the operation, officials seized hard cash to the tune of Rs 1.7 crore, along with financial records, digital data, and property documents registered in the names of promoters, their family members, and group companies.
The raids were carried out across Delhi, Mumbai, Noida, and Ghaziabad as part of an ongoing investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
IDBI Bank had first filed a petition against Jaypee Infratech Limited (JIL) in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Allahabad, after JIL defaulted on a payment of over Rs 526 crore. The NCLT initiated the insolvency process on August 9, 2017.
The insolvency case gained national attention due to over 21,000 homebuyers who had booked flats in JIL projects being left in the lurch as money had been diverted from construction projects, primarily in Wish Town, Noida.
The Supreme Court intervened to protect their interests, eventually leading to an amendment to the IBC that classified homebuyers as financial creditors, giving them a vote in the resolution process.
The case involved extensive legal proceedings, including disputes over transactions where JIL’s assets were mortgaged to secure the debts of its parent company, Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL).
After several rounds of bidding, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) approved a resolution plan submitted by the Suraksha Group in May 2024. Under this plan, Suraksha is to complete the unfinished projects and pay enhanced compensation to farmers as part of the land acquisition terms.
New Delhi, Nov 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the latest Union Cabinet decisions will ensure global competitiveness for the Indian exporters, while bolstering sustainability and self-reliance for domestic companies, especially MSMEs.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Modi, on Wednesday approved the Export Promotion Mission (EPM), with an outlay of Rs 25,060 crore, to strengthen India’s export ecosystem. The flagship initiative was announced in the Union Budget 2025-26 to strengthen India’s export competitiveness, particularly for MSMEs, first-time exporters, and labour-intensive sectors.
“Ensuring ‘Made in India’ resonates even louder in the world market! The Union Cabinet approved the Export Promotion Mission (EPM), which will improve export competitiveness, help MSMEs, first-time exporters and sectors that are labour-intensive. It brings together key stakeholders to build a mechanism that is outcome based and effective,” PM Modi said in a post on the X social media platform.
The Cabinet also approved the introduction of the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Exporters for providing 100 per cent credit guarantee coverage to member lending institutions for extending additional credit facilities up to Rs 20,000 crore to eligible exporters, including MSMEs.
“The Credit Guarantee Scheme for Exporters which has been approved by the Cabinet will boost global competitiveness, ensure smooth business operations and help realise our dream of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” said the Prime Minister.
In yet another important decision, the Union Cabinet approved the rationalisation of royalty rates for four critical minerals — graphite, caesium, rubidium, and zirconium. The royalty rates have been specified or revised as follows: caesium and rubidium will each attract a 2 per cent royalty based on the average sale price (ASP) of the respective metal contained in the ore produced.
PM Modi said that this Cabinet decision “will boost sustainability and self-reliance. It will strengthen supply chains and create job opportunities as well”.
An increase in indigenous production of these minerals would lead to a reduction in imports and supply chain vulnerabilities, and also generate employment opportunities in the country.
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