Spectrum

Airlines Want Reimbursement for Retrofitting Gear After Upper C-Band Auction

Wireless carriers, who would be on the hook, have opposed the idea.

Jake Neenan

May 8, 2026 — 3 min read

Photo of am employee working on a Boeing 737 MAX airplane on the final assembly line during a media tour at Boeing's factory Wednesday on April 15, 2026 in Renton, Wash. by Lindsey Wasson/AP

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2026 – The airline industry thinks it should be reimbursed for the billions it will cost to shield essential plane equipment from interference by wireless carriers in the upper C-band.

Representatives from a major aviation industry group met with top staff at the Federal Communications Commission to make their case Tuesday, according to a filing posted Friday.

The carriers, who would be on the hook for those payments after the spectrum is auctioned next year, don’t like the idea.