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WORLD NEWS Thursday 20 January 2022
Major airlines cancel, change flights to US over 5G dispute

By JON GAMBRELL Associ- planned to continue fly-
ated Press ing its 777s into American
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- airports. It did not explain
ates (AP) — Major inter- why it didn't change its air-
national airlines canceled craft as many other carriers
flights heading to the U.S. have.
or changed the planes In a statement, Chicago-
they're using Wednesday, based Boeing Co. said it
the latest complication in would work with airlines,
a dispute over concerns the FAA and others to find
that new 5G mobile phone a solution that would allow
service could interfere with all planes to fly safely as 5G
aircraft technology. is rolled out. It did not re-
Carriers took widely dif- spond questions about its
ferent approaches to the 777.
brewing crisis affecting Air India also announced
international travel, from on Twitter it would cancel
Middle Eastern airline Emir- flights to Chicago, Newark,
ates drastically reducing New York and San Francis-
its U.S.-bound flights to Air Similar mobile networks while it is addressed. 777. Emirates only flies that co because of the 5G issue.
France saying it would fly have been deployed in On Wednesday, Emirates model and the Airbus A380 But it also said it would try
as normal. dozens of other countries announced it would halt jumbo jet — and it was to use other aircraft on U.S.
It wasn't immediately clear — but there are some key flights to several American among one of the most af- routes — a course several
why the airlines made those differences in how the U.S. cities due to "operational fected airlines. other airlines took.
decisions — or whether network works that could concerns associated with Japan's All Nippon Airways Korean Air, Hong Kong's
they took into account that make it more likely to cause the planned deployment said that the FAA "has in- Cathay Pacific and Aus-
mobile carriers AT&T and problems for airlines. of 5G mobile network ser- dicated that radio waves trian Airlines said they sub-
Verizon agreed this week The new 5G network uses vices in the U.S. at certain from the 5G wireless service stituted different planes
to pause the rollout of the a segment of the radio airports." It said it would may interfere with aircraft for flights that were sched-
new high-speed wireless spectrum that is close to continue flights to Los An- altimeters." It added that uled to use 777s. Korean Air
service near key airports. that used by radio altim- geles, New York and Wash- Boeing announced restric- spokeswoman Jill Chung
U.S. officials had said that eters, which measure the ington. tions on airlines flying its said the airline was also
even with the conces- height of aircraft above "We are working closely 777s, and said it canceled avoiding operating some
sion, there could be some the ground and help pilots with aircraft manufacturers 20 flights over the issue to kinds of 747s at affected
cancellations and delays land in low visibility. The U.S. and the relevant authori- cities such as Chicago, Los airports. Germany's Luf-
because of limitations of Federal Communications ties to alleviate operational Angeles and New York. thansa also swapped out
equipment on certain Commission, which sets a concerns, and we hope to Japan Airlines similarly said one kind of 747 for another
planes. Some airlines said buffer between the fre- resume our U.S. services as that it had been informed on some U.S.-bound flights.
Wednesday they received quency that 5G uses and soon as possible," the state- there could be interfer- British Airways canceled
warnings from the U.S. Fed- the one that altimeters use, owned airline said. ence with the 777. several planned U.S.-
eral Aviation Administration determined that it could Tim Clark, president of Emir- It said it will stop using the bound Boeing 777 flights
or Boeing that the plane be used safely in the vicin- ates, pulled no punches model in the continen- and changed aircraft on
maker's 777 was particu- ity of air traffic. when discussing the issue. tal U.S. for now. Eight of others.
larly affected by the new AT&T and Verizon have said He told CNN it was "one of its flights were affected The FAA has said it will allow
wireless service. their equipment will not in- the most delinquent, utterly Wednesday. Taiwan's EVA planes with accurate, reli-
It was also not clear how terfere with aircraft elec- irresponsible" situations he'd Air also said the FAA spe- able altimeters to operate
disruptive the cancella- tronics. ever seen as it involved a cifically said 777s may be around high-power 5G. But
tions would be. Several air- But FAA officials saw a failure by government, sci- affected, but it did not spell planes with older altimeters
lines said they would try to potential problem, and ence and industry. out how it would adjust its will not be allowed to make
merely use different planes the telecom companies Of particular concern ap- schedule. landings under low-visibility
to maintain their schedules. agreed to a pause Tuesday pears to be the Boeing But Air France said it conditions.q
Medical workers fear Polish hospitals can't handle new surge

WARSAW, Poland (AP) Poland has about 31,000 tem is not prepared for that some medical work- ed, noted the importance
— Doctors and medical hospital beds for COVID-19 the fifth wave." "Whatever ers are receiving. of getting vaccinated.
workers in Poland fear the patients, and the current happens during the fifth "Even politicians are say- "Perhaps if our society
country's health care sys- infection rate poses a wave, if no radical steps ing that the pandemic took (the pandemic) more
tem may not be able to "great risk to the efficiency are taken by our govern- has saved the medics be- seriously, maybe the au-
cope with the latest surge of the health care system," ment, will, unfortunately, cause it allows them to thorities would have been
of COVID-19 infections. Health Minister Adam have influence on the earn better money!" he more inclined toward
More than 30,000 new Niedzielski said. number of deaths," Kolbe said. "But we don't want more restrictive steps as re-
cases in 24 hours were re- Medical staff are ex- told The Associated Press. that money anymore" but gards people who are not
ported Wednesday in this hausted and overworked "It is really a great prob- want the pandemic to be vaccinated," he said.
nation of 38 million peo- and stress that dedicated lem that we are simply over. The health minister on
ple and health authorities hospital beds and equip- exhausted," with people Milosz Jankowski, the dep- Wednesday backed a
are expecting the figure ment alone cannot care working huge hours every uty head of the Anesthesi- draft regulation that would
to almost double in the for the patients. Nurse Gil- month, Kolbe said, adding ology Clinic at the govern- require workers to show
next week, reflecting the bert Kolbe, a spokesman that the situation is wors- ment hospital in Warsaw, proof of vaccination or re-
spread of the highly con- for protesting medics, says ened by the hateful com- where the most serious covery from COVID-19 to
tagious omicron variant. "Poland's health care sys- ments and death threats COVID-19 cases are treat- their employers. q