Union Chief Says Constant Last-Minute, NOTAM-based 5G Restrictions are "No Way to Run a Railroad"

The head of the Airline Pilots Association, Joe DePete, testified before the Aviation Subcommittee of the US House to reiterate the effects of 5G services - and their hodgepodge responses - on the airline industry.

In his address to lawmakers, he described the FCC's response as a "stove-piped approach", referring to the smattering of temporary fixes aimed at buying time for a coherent, long-term solution. 

Under the banner of his organization, DePete issued a series of recommendations aimed at resolving similar issues going forward, such as increasing the FAA's efforts to stay up-to-date with changes in the national frequency spectrum and requiring the FCC to publicly share the new service transmitting data upon the issuance of a new license, as well as requiring increased collaboration from the agency with other regulatory bodies. DePete recommends the FAA be granted authority to reject new or expanded FCC spectrum applications that could affect aviation operations until safety is fully vetted. 

Those measures might have stopped the 5G fiasco before it ever began, as the FAA could have had more latitude to act before the frequencies were sold and put into service, or become involved in 5G infrastructure prior to its installation around the country. The initial assumption of the sale of C-band, 5G frequencies - namely that on-paper frequencies functioning in  a sterile, hypothetical environment should not overlap with operational aviation equipment - failed to account for real-world conditions and opened the door to a variety of improbable, but possible complications. 

“The current situation clearly shows that the FCC’s stove-piped approach threatens safety and is also forcing pilots to conduct extensive workarounds for the foreseeable future,” testified DePete. “For pilots, new 5G service has injected more complexity—and more risk—into already-complex flight operations. We must now analyze how 5G-related regulatory directives affect departure, arrival, and alternative airports. The increased pilot workload reinforces the importance of having at least two qualified, trained, and rested pilots on every flight deck.” 

FMI: www.alpa.org