Source: ACI-LAC Airports Council International Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LAC) recommends governments avoid reintroducing restrictive air travel measures so as not to jeopardize the recovery of the aviation and tourism industry. In 2021, the significant progress made on vaccination was accompanied by the elimination of many of the restrictive air travel measures in all countries in our region, translating into a progressive improvement in air traffic recovery. While in January 2021, traffic at Latin American airports represented 45% of the same month in 2019. In November it recovered to 73%. However, the emergence of the Omicron variant in recent weeks has shown that nothing should be taken for granted and that our recovery path remains fragile. But the extent [...]

Source: US FAA The FAA issued new approvals Thursday that allow an estimated 78 percent of the U.S. commercial fleet to perform low-visibility landings at airports where wireless companies deployed 5G C-band. This now includes some regional jets. Airplane models with one of the 13 cleared altimeters include all Boeing 717, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, 787, MD-10/-11; all Airbus A300, A310, A319, A320, A330, A340, A350 and A380 models; and some Embraer 170 and 190 regional jets. The FAA is working diligently to determine which altimeters are reliable and accurate where 5G is deployed in the United States. We anticipate some altimeters will be too susceptible to 5G interference. To preserve safety, aircraft with those altimeters will be prohibited [...]

ACI-LAC invites its members to the third ACI-LAC & InteVISTAS Consulting Inc. webinar on “Airports as Destinations: Rethinking Your Customer Experience Strategy”. Customer experience (CX) can be defined as the cumulative result of past experience, expectations, and interactions with multiple touchpoints that are scripted to produce a specific result or effect on consumers. With additional health screening requirements and the emergence of touchless and seamless travel technologies, updating a CX strategy can be a daunting exercise for airport managers. This webinar will outline the value of implementing a CX strategy from a commercial, operational, and traveler experience perspectives in the current ever-evolving regulatory environment. We will also demonstrate the potential of a CX strategy to unleash non-aeronautical revenues and the branding/repositioning of [...]

Source: IATA IATA welcomed the decisions by ATT and Verizon to delay the rollout of C-band 5G near airports and thanks the Biden Administration for their continuous efforts to ensure that passenger and cargo operations are not disrupted. But the delay is only a temporary solution. It still is necessary for all stakeholders and regulators, aviation and telecommunication alike, to continue sharing needed technical information and working together to reach a successful implementation plan that will ensure C-band 5G technologies can safely co-exist with the aviation industry. Any mitigation measures to ensure safe flying must be operationally viable. IATA urges the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to recognize the needs and recommendations of the aviation community in deploying C-band 5G. [...]

Source: ALPA Capt. Joe DePete, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), the world’s largest nongovernmental aviation safety organization, issued the following statement after AT&T and Verizon once again delayed the deployment of 5G signals around key airport locations so that aviation stakeholders, including pilots, can ensure the safety of the air system by protecting commercial airliners against radar altimeter interference. “While AT&T and Verizon’s announcement of a delay at certain airports acknowledges the seriousness of the aviation safety and operational risks, airline passengers and shippers deserve a commitment from the telecom companies not to launch the new 5G service at any of the airport locations identified by the FAA as being susceptible to 5G interference until a [...]

Source: ALPA In Canada, by contrast to what is unfolding in the United States, the government has also approved 5G in the C-Band but with restrictions against use in the vicinity of 26 airports and other measures to ensure aviation safety. They continue to monitor the situation and may impose additional restrictions as more data becomes available. ALPA supports these actions and is working alongside other aviation and wireless colleagues to ensure safety of airline operations while 5G C-Band deployment continues.

Source: FAA Visit our 5G and Aviation Safety page for more information. The FAA issued new approvals Thursday that allow an estimated 78 percent of the U.S. commercial fleet to perform low-visibility landings at airports where wireless companies deployed 5G C-band. This now includes some regional jets. Airplane models with one of the 13 cleared altimeters include all Boeing 717, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, 787, MD-10/-11; all Airbus A300, A310, A319, A320, A330, A340, A350 and A380 models; and some Embraer 170 and 190 regional jets. The FAA is working diligently to determine which altimeters are reliable and accurate where 5G is deployed in the United States. We anticipate some altimeters will be too susceptible to 5G interference. To preserve safety, [...]