The launch of enhanced 5G services Wednesday had a limited impact on U.S. flights after aviation regulators gave airlines additional guidance to reflect the decision not to launch the new cellular service near major airports.
Airlines had said they were concerned about potential travel disruptions once wireless providers began beaming new signals to customers, due to flight restrictions intended to protect aircraft from possible interference from the new fifth-generation service. Wireless operators have said the service won’t disrupt airplanes’ instruments.
Relatively clear weather and changes following a temporary concession by wireless carriers to address air-safety concerns helped blunt the disruption Wednesday, the first day of the 5G rollout.
David Seymour,
American Airlines Group Inc.’s
chief operating officer, told employees in a memo Wednesday that the airline had experienced some minor complications as it waited for the Federal Aviation Administration to revise its operating requirements to align with the new 5G deployment plan. The airline said it had some delays and four canceled mainline flights, along with a few more cancellations and delays among its regional carriers.
Mr. Seymour said that the carrier expects to receive safety clearances for the remainder of its fleet soon.
United Airlines Holdings Inc.
said in a statement that the compromise with AT&T and Verizon helped “avoid mass cancellations across the aviation industry.”
agreed Tuesday to exclude two-mile zones around airport runways from their 5G launches, a last-minute concession to address aviation safety concerns following a monthslong standoff.
The FAA said Wednesday that it had…