The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced today
that it has determined that it is safe to allow airline passengers to use portable
electronic devices during takeoff and landing.
The new rule will still require that cellphones remain off
or in airplane mode, with cellular service disabled, throughout the flight, due
to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations. Large items like
laptops and tablet computers will have to be stowed during the actual takeoff
and landing phases. However, music players, smartphones, and other small electronic
devices with Wi-Fi Internet capability will not have to be turned off for
takeoff and landing.
The FAA also noted: “Due to differences among fleets and operations, the
implementation will vary among airlines, but the agency expects many carriers
will prove to the FAA that their planes allow passengers to safely use their
devices in airplane mode, gate-to-gate, by the end of the year.”
For more information, please visit the FAA Portable Electronic
Devices webpage at http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/ped/