The FAA has signed a final rule requiring aircraft operating in the contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., to use radio altimeters that meet new interference-tolerance standards. Part 121 aircraft and larger foreign airliners must comply by Dec. 30, 2030. Most other affected aircraft have until Oct. 31, 2034.
Part 135 And GA Included
The later deadline applies to radio-altimeter-equipped aircraft operating under Part 91 and includes operations conducted under Parts 125, 133, 135, 136, 137 and 194. Smaller Part 129 aircraft also fall under the 2034 deadline. The rule does not require owners to install radio altimeters in aircraft that do not already have them.
The standards address potential interference from wireless services in the Upper C-band, which covers frequencies immediately below the band used by radio altimeters.
The instruments provide height-above-terrain information to pilots and can supply data to terrain-warning systems, collision-avoidance systems, automatic landing equipment and other aircraft functions.
Retrofit Costs
The FAA estimates that each replacement radio altimeter for an airplane will cost between $80,000 and $120,000, including installation. The agency used a $40,000 estimate for each rotorcraft unit. Its analysis placed total nationwide Part 135 compliance costs between $675 million and $970 million. Some aircraft carry more than one radio altimeter.
The FCC has established a rebate program for eligible domestic owners and operators. Auction winners for the new wireless spectrum will fund the program, although rebate amounts, eligibility categories and documentation requirements remain to be established. Foreign operators will not qualify.
The rule will take effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.
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