A number of flights in and out of a Pacific Northwest airport have been canceled in part over concerns over 5G technology which was recently rolled out nationwide.
Alaska Airlines canceled nearly two dozen flights in and out of Paine Field in Everett, Washington, according to Seattle's KOMO. On Monday, Paine Field announced the Alaska Airlines cancellations on Twitter., "Unfortunately, our hometown carrier has had to cancel flights due to 5G and weather," the airport's tweet said. "Please check your flight status with @AlaskaAir before heading out to Paine Field this week. This is out of our control, and we are as frustrated as you are."
The airport said it was continuing to look for a solution. "Be assured that we are working with the appropriate authorities on local and federal levels, along with our partners at Snohomish County, to assist in bringing this situation to a resolution as soon as possible," Paine Field said in a tweet,
The airline flies Embraer 175 jets out of Paine Field. Those specific planes, according to the Everett Herald, have not yet received clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration to land in areas during weather conditions that make for poor visibility that are near 5G towers. On Monday, Everett was dealing with foggy conditions.
The move comes after airlines had previously voiced concern over 5G. The name 5G is short for "fifth generation," and it is the latest version of mobile technology. This update allows networks to work up to 100 times fastest than the previous iteration of cellular technology, 4G.
However, the worry is that the 5G frequencies could disrupt vital equipment aboard planes, with a special concern regarding radio altimeters. These radio altimeters give flight crew readings of a plane's distance from the ground, are extremely necessary in weather when visibility is difficult, or for low-flying aircraft.
Alaska Airlines' website said that "the new 5G C-Band signal have limited our ability to land certain aircraft in low visibility." They also go on to urge travelers to check their flight's status prior to leaving for the airport.
Additionally, the airline said that on Tuesday, eight more flights were canceled in relation to the new 5G C-Bands.
The airline, in a statement to Newsweek, said: "We know this situation is frustrating and disruptive to those impacted and we're asking the government to ensure an effective, safe, reliable and sustainable solution to get all our aircraft back to normal operations."
In a statement to Newsweek, Paine Field CEO Brett Smith said: "It is unfortunate that the appropriate government agencies have failed to adequately prepare for the 5G rollout and are now inconveniencing tens of thousands of people throughout the country."
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