At the end of September, an FAA panel released their recommendations on the use of electronic devices on airplanes from the ground to 10,000 feet. The panel stated that electronic device use should be permitted between takeoff and 10,000 feet, including data devices if “airplane mode” is engaged.
Passengers would still not be allowed to make phone calls, send texts, or access web data until they can connect to the airplane’s Wi-Fi (if there is one in place) at cruising altitude. In fact, the issue of cellular data use was not even considered by the FAA panel because it is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC has shown little inclination to study the issue of cellular device use on airplanes, and unlike the FAA, they are not experts on airline safety, so such a review is unlikely in the near future. Additionally, while the use of electronic devices generally is a potential safety issue, the ban on the use of cellular devices stems largely from the concern that “cellular signals from in-flight phones could cause network confusion by lighting up multiple cell towers on the ground.”
Some would argue that the change that this panel is advocating is long overdue. Pressure from passengers, politicians, and device manufacturers alike has been mounting for several years, beginning with a 2011 New York Times blog article by Nick Bilton, “Disruptions: Fliers Must Turn Off Devices, but It’s Not Clear Why” and the persistent efforts of Senator McCaskill (D), who has repeatedly petitioned the FAA for review of these restrictions and threatened legislation on the issue.
In a Bloomberg interview with former U.S. Transportation Department Inspector General Mary Schiavo, Schiavo stated that the FAA panel results will likely prompt the FAA to reach out to the airlines for their voluntary cooperation with introducing the use of electronic devices below 10,000 feet. According to Schiavo, if airplanes are Wi-Fi equipped, they have already had to certify that they can withstand electronic devices on the planes (though not communications devices). Airlines may refrain from allowing electronic device use on older models, which may be more susceptible to interference.
While lingering doubts about the safety of electronic devices still exist in some minds, disruption tests suggest that modern airplanes are easily equipped to handle the electronic emissions from e-Readers and other electronic devices. As one USA Today article reports, many passengers currently do not completely power off their devices, or discreetly avoid even putting them to sleep or on “airplane mode.” Additionally, many pilots use airline-issued iPads during commercial flights. Schiavo also notes that passengers in private jets are allowed to use their electronic and cellular devices freely from gate to gate.
While the full text of the FAA panel report has not yet been released, The Wall Street Journal reports that there was also a discussion of “gate to gate” WiFi, and that unrestricted access could be around the corner for working and tech-obsessed flyers. The implementation timeline of the FAA panel’s recommendations is not yet clear; however, frequent flyers can now be hopeful that in the near future, their beloved devices need never leave their sides – even in an airplane.