CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Major airlines issued a dire warning about the impact of 5G technology set to be rolled out Wednesday by Verizon and AT&T.
The chief executives of American, United, Delta, and Southwest, as well as executives of FedEx and UPS, warned of a "catastrophic disruption" if the companies roll out 5G without limiting the technology near airports.
Verizon and AT&T have already delayed the launch twice.
The concern is the potential to cause problems with aircraft altitude indicators.
CBS News obtained a letter that the executives wrote to the U.S. Transportation Secretary, FAA, FCC, and the White House warning there is a risk of what they call "economic calamity.”
"We are writing with urgency to request that 5G be implemented everywhere in the country except within the approximate two miles of airport runways as defined by the FAA on January 19, 2022," the executives wrote in the letter. "This will allow 5G to be deployed without avoiding harmful impacts on the aviation industry, traveling public, supply chain, vaccine distribution, our workforce and broader economy. We further ask that the FAA immediately identify those base stations closest to key airport runways that need to be addressed to ensure safety and avoid disruption in a manner that is narrowly focused and consistent with the agreement established on January 3, 2022."
The letter went on to say that "unless our major hubs are cleared to fly, the vast majority of the traveling and shipping public will essentially be grounded. This means that on a day like yesterday, more than 1,100 flights and 100,000 passengers would be subject to cancellations, diversions, or delays...
"To be blunt, the nation's commerce will grind to a halt," the letter continued.
United Airlines said in a separate statement, "The federal government's current 5G rollout plan will have a devastating impact on aviation, negatively affecting an estimated 1.25 million United passengers, at least 15,000 flights and much-needed goods and tons of cargo traveling through more than 40 of the largest airports in the country annually."
The FAA said it will “continue to ensure that the traveling public is safe as wireless companies deploy 5G. The FAA continues to work with the aviation industry and wireless companies to try to limit 5G-related flight delays and cancellations."
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