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As expected, FAA permits use of electronic devices during all phases of flight

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As first intimated back in March and pretty much a done deal in September, the FAA has confirmed that use of portable electronic devices by airline passengers will be permitted from gate to gate. Cellular devices must be in flight mode throughout, and you cannot make voice calls, even via Wi-Fi.

The ruling only gives the go-ahead to airlines, so there’s no saying when individual airlines might start applying the policy, but it’s unlikely to be before next year.

One uncertainty remains: the FAA says that approval is for ‘lightweight’ devices and gives examples, but doesn’t actually specify a weight.

Once an airline verifies the tolerance of its fleet, it can allow passengers to use handheld, lightweight electronic devices – such as tablets, e-readers, and smartphones—at all altitudes

It’s not immediately clear whether the permission includes laptops. Given the rather thin line between a lightweight laptop and a tablet, not to mention the difficulty non-technical cabin crew would have distinguishing a tablet with keyboard accessory from a laptop, this seems something of an oversight. Perhaps the rules should allow anything with an ‘Air’ in the name …

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Comments

  1. Xavier (@dalaen) - 10 years ago

    Finally!!! We’ll be able to read books on iPad at take-off and landing too!

    It was very hard to explain (and not convince) attendants that a Kindle doesn’t deliver ANY power when you don’t change page, or anything…

  2. Leah BiznessCat Johnson - 10 years ago

    More proof that the Nazi-like-paranoia about devices that don’t even operate on any similar bandwidth or even use the same kind of signals (not even close) was completely unfounded. If the airline technology was able to be scrambled THAT easy, terrorists would be able to redirect and control planes via satellite and REALLY create chaos.

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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