The Federal Aviation Administration just announced that they will allow passenger use of electronic devices during all phases of flight, including takeoff and landing.
The FAA expects most airlines to implement the new policy by the end of the year, according to a press release. The new policy allows passengers to use electronic devices in airplane mode gate-to-gate. Currently, most airlines ban the use of electronic devices during takeoff and landing. Passengers still wont be able to talk on cellphones during flight, but they can connect to wifi on their phones if the airplane provides it, FAA Administrator Michael P. Huerta said during a press conference Thursday morning. Huerta noted that most commercial airplanes can tolerate electronic interference from portable electronic devices but that heavier devices should be stowed under seats or overhead bins during takeoff and landing. From the press release: Passengers will eventually be able to read e-books, play games, and watch videos on their devices during all phases of flight, with very limited exceptions. Electronic items, books and magazines, must be held or put in the seat back pocket during the actual takeoff and landing roll. Cell phones should be in airplane mode or with cellular service disabled i.e., no signal bars displayedand cannot be used for voice communications based on FCC regulations that prohibit any airborne calls using cell phones. If your air carrier provides Wi-Fi service during flight, you may use those services. You can also continue to use short-range Bluetooth accessories, like wireless keyboards.
[h=1]F.A.A. Allows Use of Electronic Devices Throughout Flights[/h]
Marty Katz for The New York Times Changes on In-Flight Electronic Devices: Michael P. Huerta, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration, explained the relaxed rules on using electronic devices during flights.
[h=6]By MATTHEW L. WALD[/h] [h=6]Published: October 31, 2013[/h]
WASHINGTON — Airline passengers can use electronic devices to listen to music, read and play games in “all phases of flight,” the Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday, but using a cellphone to talk and text will still be banned.
The changes will most likely take effect before the end of the year, the F.A.A. said, after airlines determine that their aircraft can tolerate the interference.
Passengers will still be prohibited from browsing the Web and checking e-mail once the plane’s doors have been closed and until its Wi-Fi network has been turned on, usually above 10,000 feet. Rules for cellphone use are set by the Federal Communications Commission and are unlikely to change soon. The administrator of the F.A.A., Michael P. Huerta, said he expected that, with rare exceptions, airlines would allow the use of tablets, MP3 players and smartphones in “airplane mode,” with their cell network connections turned off. The airlines will have to conduct tests on their equipment and submit the results to the F.A.A. for approval, he said. Soon after Mr. Huerta spoke, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue announced that they would submit a plan for passengers to use electronics in flight. The change would not be universal, Mr. Huerta said. “In some instances of low visibility, 1 percent of flights, some landing systems may not be proven to tolerate the interference,” said Mr. Huerta, briefing reporters in the ticketing lobby of Ronald Reagan National Airport. “In those cases, passengers may be asked to turn off personal electronic devices.” The rule banning use of personal electronic devices during some parts of the flight had become an increasing source of frustration for passengers who saw it as outdated in a technology-dependent age. Mr. Huerta acknowledged as much, saying that both the devices and airplane avionics had changed in the many years the rule had been in effect. The change followed the recommendation an advisory committee made on Sept. 30. For the F.A.A. to approve such a recommendation within a month, which included the 16-day federal shutdown, is unusual; the agency was an active participant in the advisory committee and had been working on the change even before the recommendation was final. Mr. Huerta stressed that passengers would be told to turn off their electronics when the flight attendants gave preflight safety briefings about what to do in an emergency, and that the airlines would have to develop new rules about stowing electronics during takeoff and landing. While flight attendants have no effective way to determine whether a cellphone or tablet is really in airplane mode during flight, Mr. Huerta said, “There’s no safety problem if they’re not, but you’re going to arrive at your destination with a dead battery,” because the device would continue looking for a cell connection and would not find it. Mr. Huerta said the airlines had generally favored the change, to “enhance the customer experience,” but that they did not have a uniform position. The industry’s main trade association, Airlines for America, supported the decision in a statement. The president of the Association of Flight Attendants, Veda Shook, said that the change was “welcome news.” “We’re not going to run away from technology, but we’re not going to run away from safety, either,” she said. Flight attendants would be relieved of the job of making passengers turn off their devices when the plane descended, she said, but would have to enforce new rules about what had to be stored under a seat or in an overhead bin, and what could be held or put in a seat back pocket. She said she hoped the rules would be uniform across the airlines, to minimize confusion among passengers And, she said, the old rules were still in force now, although she added, “I’m pretty sure people are going to think they can do this today.” The new rule applies to all United States carriers. The European Aviation Safety Agency, which participated on the F.A.A. review panel, said Thursday it would analyze the decision before clarifying its own policy. “The position the F.A.A. announced today is actually a step in the direction of the way it works in Europe,” Dominique Fouda, a spokesman for the European agency in Cologne, said in an email. In Europe, he said, “there is per se no ban” on the use of mobile phones and other personal electronic devices. Rather, it is the responsibility of the airlines to demonstrate that they do not interfere with cockpit equipment. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/01/b...-electronics-on-flights-faa-says.html?hp&_r=0
[h=1]Europe allows gadgets to be used from take-off[/h]
European flyers will now be able to use devices during take-off and landing
Europe is relaxing rules about the use of electronics during flights, paving the way for devices to be used during take-off and landing.
Currently smartphones, tablets and other devices can be used only while a flight is in the air. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published guidelines saying use of such devices should now be allowed during take-off and landing. It follows the US bringing in similar rules last month. The EASA stipulates that devices must be used in "airplane mode", meaning passengers cannot use voice or text services. This is due to the possibility of radio interference with flight equipment. The changes will apply to aircraft operated by European airlines and are likely to be introduced at the end of the month. "This is a major step in the process of expanding the freedom to use personal electronic devices on-board aircraft without compromise in safety," said Patrick Ky, EASA executive director.
Explaining the US change of heart, the Federal Aviation Administration said that recent reviews had determined that most commercial aircraft can tolerate radio interference signals from such devices. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24939782
