Major airlines around the world rushed to cancel or change flights to the United States on Wednesday ahead of the rollout of a new 5G wireless service that has sparked safety concerns.
The scramble came despite Verizon and AT&T agreeing to temporarily limit the launch of the new C-Band 5G service around some airports after airline chief executives warned it could cause “catastrophic” disruptions.
Several airlines still opted to cancel or switch aircraft models for flights to the U.S. after warnings that the 5G launch could potentially interfere with signals used by radio altimeters, which help pilots land safely in low-visibility operations, on some jets and planes.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration began updating its guidance on which airports and aircraft models could be affected by the 5G rollout late Tuesday, with the issue appearing to particularly impact the Boeing 777 — a long-range, wide-body aircraft used by carriers worldwide.
Dubai’s Emirates said it would be suspending flights to at least nine U.S. destinations from Wednesday, according to Reuters. Flights to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, as well as to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. were still expected to run. The airline is the world’s largest operator of the 777, according to its website.
Meanwhile, Japan’s two major airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, said they would also hold back on Boeing 777 flights to the U.S., with the former airline saying it would be cancelling or changing the aircraft used on some flights.
Korean Air Lines, Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air India and Taiwan’s China Airlines were also among those to announce flight changes.
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A spokesperson for Singapore Airlines told NBC News the airline had switched the aircraft…