A Federal Aviation Administration advisory panel is expected this week to recommend a significant rollback of restrictions on the use of electronic devices by airplane passengers during takeoff and landings. 'As the consumer electronics industry has exploded,' the current rules have 'become untenable,' according to a draft version of the new proposals. Under the new recommendations passengers can expect to be allowed to use their devices in 'Airplane Mode' to read e-books, listen to music and watch videos. A relaxing of F.A.A. rules means passengers could soon be allowed to read e-books during takeoffs and landings but the ban on making phone calls will remain . But the current ban will remain in place for things that require a data connection, such as making phone calls, sending and receiving e-mails and texts or using Wi-Fi, reports the New York Times. The panel will recommend its new policy to the F.A.A. by the end of the month and it is expected to come into effect next year. Existing regulations that require a blanket ban on the use of all electronics during takeoff and landings have become increasingly unworkable due to the large numbers of people now carrying such devices. Many passengers either forget to turn off their devices or ignore calls from flight attendants to power down. The current rules regarding the use of electronic devices during takeoffs and landings have 'become untenable' due to the dramatic increase in the number of people using them . Regulators have never been able to establish conclusively that electronic devices can cause the malfunction of cockpit instruments and any evidence of a link is largely anecdotal. Many airlines have already expanded their own use of wireless systems on board, offering live television and Wi-Fi once the plane is above 10,000 feet. Some are understood to be considering proposals to stream content – such as movies - directly to passengers’ own devices. The F.A.A. advisory panel was supposed to report back in July, but requested an extension until the end of September due to the complexities involved. They want to present a single policy from ‘gate to gate’ that would apply to all airlines, and all types of airplanes. ‘We have to make sure the planes can handle this,’ Douglas Kidd, the head of the National Association of Airline Passengers and a member of the advisory committee told the New York Times. A change in F.A.A. regulations means passengers can expect to be allowed to read e-books, listen to podcasts and watch videos during takeoffs and landings from next year . ‘There’s a lot of pressure on the F.A.A. because passengers are very attached to their devices.’ The review does not included mobile voice communications, which are prohibited by the telecommunications regulators at the Federal Communications Commission because they interfere with transmissions between cell towers on the ground. More than two billion portable electronic devices will be sold this year, according to the research firm Gartner. Air travelers own a disproportionately large share of these devices, particularly smartphones and tablets, whose use is growing at the fastest rate. Shipments are expected to more than double by next year compared with 2012, to 276 million units.
Advisory panel meets this week to determine what changes to make to existing regulations regarding the use of electronic devices on planes .
Expected to recommend that passengers be allowed to use devices in 'Airplane Mode' to read e-books, listen to music and watch videos .
Ban expected to remain on tasks requiring a data connection such as making phone calls and sending emails or texts .
Changes expected to come into effect next year .
A Federal Aviation Administration advisory panel is expected this week to recommend a significant rollback of restrictions on the use of electronic devices by airplane passengers during takeoff and landings. 'As the consumer electronics industry has exploded,' the current rules have 'become untenable,' according to a draft version of the new proposals. Under the new recommendations passengers can expect to be allowed to use their devices in 'Airplane Mode' to read e-books, listen to music and watch videos. A relaxing of F.A.A. rules means passengers could soon be allowed to read e-books during takeoffs and landings but the ban on making phone calls will remain . But the current ban will remain in place for things that require a data connection, such as making phone calls, sending and receiving e-mails and texts or using Wi-Fi, reports the New York Times. The panel will recommend its new policy to the F.A.A. by the end of the month and it is expected to come into effect next year. Existing regulations that require a blanket ban on the use of all electronics during takeoff and landings have become increasingly unworkable due to the large numbers of people now carrying such devices. Many passengers either forget to turn off their devices or ignore calls from flight attendants to power down. The current rules regarding the use of electronic devices during takeoffs and landings have 'become untenable' due to the dramatic increase in the number of people using them . Regulators have never been able to establish conclusively that electronic devices can cause the malfunction of cockpit instruments and any evidence of a link is largely anecdotal. Many airlines have already expanded their own use of wireless systems on board, offering live television and Wi-Fi once the plane is above 10,000 feet. Some are understood to be considering proposals to stream content – such as movies - directly to passengers’ own devices. The F.A.A. advisory panel was supposed to report back in July, but requested an extension until the end of September due to the complexities involved. They want to present a single policy from ‘gate to gate’ that would apply to all airlines, and all types of airplanes. ‘We have to make sure the planes can handle this,’ Douglas Kidd, the head of the National Association of Airline Passengers and a member of the advisory committee told the New York Times. A change in F.A.A. regulations means passengers can expect to be allowed to read e-books, listen to podcasts and watch videos during takeoffs and landings from next year . ‘There’s a lot of pressure on the F.A.A. because passengers are very attached to their devices.’ The review does not included mobile voice communications, which are prohibited by the telecommunications regulators at the Federal Communications Commission because they interfere with transmissions between cell towers on the ground. More than two billion portable electronic devices will be sold this year, according to the research firm Gartner. Air travelers own a disproportionately large share of these devices, particularly smartphones and tablets, whose use is growing at the fastest rate. Shipments are expected to more than double by next year compared with 2012, to 276 million units.
is expected this week to recommend a significant passengers can expect to be allowed to use their devices in 'Airplane Mode' to read e-books, listen to music and watch videos. A relaxing of for things that require a data connection, such as making phone calls, sending and receiving it is expected to come into effect next year. regarding the use of electronic devices during