Air India resumes flights to the US after brief disruption over 5G issue, will operate Boeing 777 to these cities

After approval from Boeing, Air India has decided to operate B777 to the US and the first flight has left this morning to the JFK Airport, New York.

Image for representation

After approval from the US authority, Air India has resumed Boeing 777 operations to the US starting today (January 20). Air India, on Wednesday, curtailed the operations to the United States due to the 5G rollout. Air India had so far cancelled more than 8 flights to the USA as informed by the Airline officials. Boeing has now cleared Air India to operate in the USA on the Boeing 777.

Accordingly, first flight has left this morning to the JFK Airport, New York. Air India will operate more flights in the coming days to cities like Chicago & SFO. Air India has also informed that arrangements to carry stranded passengers are being worked out and the matter regarding B777 flying into the USA has been sorted.

Not just Air India - on the eve of a 5G wireless rollout that triggered safety concerns, despite two wireless carriers saying they will delay parts of the deployment - major international airlines had rushed to rejig or cancel flights to the United States.

#FlyAI: Due to deployment of the 5G communications in USA,we will not be able to operate the following flights of 19th Jan'22:

AI101/102 DEL/JFK/DEL
AI173/174 DEL/SFO/DEL
AI127/126 DEL/ORD/DEL
AI191/144 BOM/EWR/BOM

Please standby for further updates.https://t.co/Cue4oHChwx — Air India (@airindiain) January 18, 2022

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned that potential 5G interference could affect height readings that play a key role in bad-weather landings on some jets and airlines say the Boeing 777 is among models initially in the spotlight. Despite an announcement by AT&T and Verizon that they would delay turning on some 5G towers near airports, several airlines still cancelled flights.

Others said more cancellations were likely unless the FAA issued new formal guidance in the wake of the wireless announcements. The world's largest operator of the Boeing 777, Dubai's Emirates, said it would suspend flights to nine U.S. destinations from January 19, the planned date for the deployment of 5G wireless services.

Emirates flights to New York's JFK, Los Angeles, and Washington DC will continue to operate. Japan's two major airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, said they would curtail Boeing 777 flights.

With inputs from agencies