This is FLY we Can't Have Nice Things

Is it safe to travel yet? The answer is yes and no. We previously covered some of the big reasons flights were getting canceled around peak travel season (Christmas and New Year's), but this is a bit different. We will not be talking about COVID-19 and staff shortages this time; oh no. This time you can't fly because of "Karens" / "Kens" and 5G. Yes, you read that correctly. Contrary to popular belief, while 5G is not the cause of COVID-19, it is in fact a reason that flights can get canceled or delayed. Unfortunately, unlike tracking delayed and canceled flights, there is currently no app to help predict passenger behavior nor 5G impact, so be sure to book refundable tickets.

Let's start with the "fun" part of this topic before we get to the more technical spot. A United Airlines flight headed toward Israel had to turn around after two passengers tried to upgrade their seats to business class roughly an hour and a half into the flight. Due to the passengers refusing to return to their proper seats and getting into a verbal fight with the flight attendants, the plane turned around. The other passengers were compensated for a hotel stay and booked to new flights, but here's the real question: what happens to people who disrupt flights? The answer is... it depends. Flight attendants are not law enforcement nor are they rule enforcers. In fact, flight attendants cannot arrest nor restrain a passenger, although there are some special cases in which they will restrain someone. When the plane lands either action is taken or it is not, depending on the severity of the infraction. Punishments can range from being banned from the airline, being fined up to $25,000, or getting jailed. Again, it really just depends on what the unruly passenger has done. As it turns out, it does pay not to be a "Karen," or rather at least you won't be losing $25K in fines on good behavior.

Behavior aside, another reason your flight can be delayed or canceled is due to 5G. Apparently, Verizon and AT&T turned on their C-band 5G networks and unfortunately the C-band sits near the band of frequencies used by the aircraft radars that give the pilot the plane's elevation. As you may think, getting that information is crucial for landing airplanes in low visibility conditions. Was this a surprise? No - at least not to airlines. When the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the C-band spectrum for US wireless carriers in 2021 airlines warned of this issue happening, estimating that around 1,000 flights would be disrupted per day once the C-band 5G networks were activated. Of note, this did not happen in other countries because the US is the only country using the specific frequencies for C-band.

So, what is being done? In short, not a lot is being done to fix the issue currently. Pilots have been banned from using instruments that could be potentially affected by the C-bands around airports where low-visibility conditions would otherwise require them. The concerning thing to note here is that more than 6,800 US planes and dozens of aircraft manufacturers. For reference, there are roughly 210,000 general aviation aircrafts that are based out of the US, this value includes helicopters, airplanes, and jets. Of that value, roughly 7,400 make up the US commercial airlines fleet. Currently, the White House is working through talks with the FCC, wireless carriers, the Federal Aviation Administration, and airlines and aircraft equipment manufacturers to find a solution that does not sacrifice the 5G rollout and still allows flight safety.