Federal Register #2026-13208

FAA Directive: Boeing 737 AFM Revisions and Optional Modifications for 5G Interference in Canadian Airspace

This opportunity concerns a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness directive for Boeing 737-8, 737-9, and 737-8200 airplanes, addressing 5G wireless interference in Canadian airspace. - Government Buyer: - Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aircraft Certification Service, Continued Operational Safety Branch - OEM Highlight: - The Boeing Company is the only OEM specifically referenced - Products/Services Requested: - Mandatory revision of the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) for 832 affected aircraft to include operational limitations when using radio altimeter data in Canadian airspace - Optional modifications to aircraft, including: - Replacement of radio altimeters to models tolerant of 5G interference (estimated cost up to $120,000 per aircraft) - Addition of filters to existing radio altimeters to mitigate 5G interference (estimated cost up to $14,040 per aircraft) - Notable Requirements: - The directive is driven by interference from 5G Lower C-Band (3.7-3.98 GHz) wireless broadband, which can affect critical flight systems during takeoff, landing, and approach - Operators must comply by revising manuals or performing optional hardware modifications to continue certain operations in Canadian airspace - No specific part numbers or alternative OEMs are listed; the directive applies to all affected Boeing aircraft models - The directive is an interim action and may be updated as the 5G environment evolves

Description

This final rule airworthiness directive (AD) applies to all The Boeing Company Model 737-8, 737-9, and 737-8200 airplanes. It addresses interference issues with radio altimeters caused by wireless broadband operations in the 3.7-3.98 GHz frequency band (5G Lower C-Band) in Canadian airspace. The AD requires revising the existing airplane flight manual (AFM) to include limitations on operations requiring radio altimeter data when operating in Canadian airspace. The rule aims to prevent unsafe conditions such as degraded deceleration performance and runway excursions during takeoffs and landings due to interference. The AD is effective July 1, 2026, and comments are requested by August 14, 2026.

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