US airline industry predictions of chaos did not materialise as AT&T and Verizon launched commercial 5G services using C-Band spectrum, though several international flights were reportedly cancelled due to concerns over interference with aircraft altimeters.
The Guardian reported British Airways cancelled flights into at least three US cities, while Air India grounded four aeroplanes. Various other reports stated Dubai-based Emirates dropped 11 US-bound flights, noting it relies heavily on Boeing models not deemed safe for operation in the presence of C-Band 5G by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
And US-headquartered Delta Airlines predicted impending bad weather could result in cancellations because altimeters would typically be required in such conditions.
Verizon and AT&T twice delayed their C-Band 5G launches due to the concerns over interference, but finally launched January 19.
AT&T lit the service in eight cities, while Verizon focused on improvements to its fixed wireless access internet service enabled by the combination of C-Band with its existing mmWave spectrum.
