FAA May Approve Use of Electronic Devices

The request to “please turn off all personal electronic devices” is likely to continue being a part of flight attendants’ safety speeches for some time, but eventually you may be able to keep using your Kindle or iPad during takeoff. A Federal Aviation Administration official told The New York Times that the agency intends to “take a fresh look” at the prohibition on the use of portable electronics, which was last updated in 2006.

Current FAA regulations say that airlines can request the approval of a certain device once the airline has proven that it won’t interfere with any of its planes’ systems. Because this involves testing every brand and generation of a product on every model of plane in a fleet, it is a costly process that airlines have been reluctant to initiate. The FAA’s statement recognizes that the system is not working and needs to be revamped. The New York Times’ column indicates that smart phones will not be part of the FAA’s re-examination of the rules, likely because there are so many types of phones on the market. nytimes.com