Aircraft flying in the U.S. must have a retrofitted altimeter or face being grounded in bad weather
Some airlines have complained that issues out of their control, such as supply-chain problems and the inability to certify planes, will force some aircraft to be grounded starting on July 1st. The trade association Airlines for America said in a statement, “Global supply chains continue to lag behind current demand. Carriers have repeatedly communicated this reality to the government.” The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says that airlines will do their best to prevent disruptions related to the equipment.
As an example, Delta Airlines said that it was informed by a supplier that it wouldn’t have enough radio altimeters to cover its fleet by July 1st. As the owner of over 900 aircraft, Delta still has 190 narrow-body planes (including all of its Airbus A220 jets) using older altimeters. As a result, Delta will keep those planes away from airports that can be affected by adverse weather conditions.
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JetBlue has 17 Airbus A220 jets scheduled to have their altimeter replaced in October. Starting on July 1st, the airline could have some delays or cancellations in Boston on days with limited visibility. Southwest Airlines and United Airlines say that the altimeters on their jets are ready to fly through C-band signals starting on July 1st. American Airlines says that its altimeter retrofits will all be completed before next Saturday’s deadline.
While retrofits are easy to install, they are costly and time-consuming, The IATA estimates that airlines will have to spend close to $638 million to replace the altimeters on members’ aircraft.