Avionics
Aviation Coalition Asks FAA for More Time on 5G Retrofits
Aviation coalition seeks more time to retrofit aircraft with radar altimeters resistant to 5G C-band interference.
An aviation coalition is seeking more time to retrofit aircraft with radar altimeters resistant to 5G C-band interference. (Photo: Flickr: Creative Commons by arbyreed)
An aviation coalition is seeking more time to retrofit aircraft with radar altimeters resistant to 5G C-band interference. (Photo: Flickr: Creative Commons by arbyreed)

A broad aviation industry OEM and association coalition is asking the U.S. government for more time to implement radar altimeter retrofits required to defeat potential 5G C-band cellular interference. In a joint letter sent this morning to top federal officials—including the heads of the U.S. Department of Transportation and the FAA—the coalition said the deadlines to retrofit the nation’s entire fleet of regional and cargo aircraft with upgraded radar altimeters (RAs) by December 2022 and the overall deadline of July 2023 was not achievable and requested that signal interference mitigations be extended through the end of 2023.