The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) may soon lift the ban on the use of personal electronic devices (PEDs) during taxiing, take-off and landing and establish new rules on the use of tablets, laptop computers, e-readers and portable media players by the end of the year. The changes will not include cell phones.
The New York Times reported Sunday that an FAA official and a member of the industry working group created last year to investigate the use of PEDs on airplanes, both speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the industry group is likely to recommend loosening the rules slightly during the presentation of its study results at the end of July. The group is comprised of representatives from Amazon, the Consumer Electronics Association, the Association of Flight Attendants, the Federal Communications Commission, Boeing and other aircraft manufacturers.
Both sources stated that the agency has been under tremendous pressure to either allow greater use of PEDs on airplanes or provide solid scientific evidence as to why they are prohibited.
An internal document reportedly shown to the New York Times describes the workings group’s additional objectives, including the development of a clearer definition of the term “airplane mode” and the establishment of policies to ensure flight attendants do not have to be “the social police.” The working group also plans to ensure any new rules enacted apply to future devices not currently on the market, including wearable computing devices like the much-anticipated Google Glass and Apple iWatch.
Senator Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) plans to hold the agency to its promise by introducing legislation in the near future.
“We’re going to start drafting legislation that would dictate these changes,” McCaskill said in a phone interview with the New York Times. She added she was in the process of meeting with various parties and corralling bipartisan support for action in Congress. “Let’s hope it’s not necessary, but I will be looking for vehicles to get this changed.”
For more information, visit the New York Times.
