5G words and an airplane toy are placed on a printed U.S. flag in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) – It will likely take “years” to permanently address airplane interference issues caused by the deployment of 5G wireless in the C-band, a group representing major U.S. passenger and cargo carriers will tell U.S. lawmakers on Thursday.

Nick Calio, who heads Airlines for America, will tell a House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee in written testimony that the 5G issues facing the aviation industry should have been avoided.

“The process that led to this operational nightmare should be held up as a cautionary tale of government communication and coordination gone awry,” his testimony, reviewed by Reuters and not yet made public, says.

“It will likely take years, not days or weeks, to fully and permanently mitigate the interference issues caused by deployment of 5G in the C-band,” adds Cal