Boeing 787s need new transponders to avoid disappearing from air traffic control

The US aviation regulator proposes that certain Boeing 787 airplanes replace a key piece of hardware. This change addresses a problem where the planes' transponders stopped working when flying through certain types of radio interference.

Aviation safety relies on air traffic controllers knowing where every plane is at all times. If a plane's transponder goes out, it becomes invisible to controllers, creating a serious collision risk. This rule means Boeing 787 operators must fix a known vulnerability that could make their planes disappear from radar.