U.S. airline passengers soon will be able to read on their Kindles, and play with their iPhones and iPads, during takeoffs and landings.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday cleared use of gadgets for takeoff, allowing them to be used during all phases of flight. The FAA is immediately issuing guidance to airlines on how to implement the change, the agency said.
It’s unclear how many airlines would lift the ban in time for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday travel season, but bigger airlines might allow use of such devices within days.
Delta Air Lines said it already submitted a plan to the FAA for approval and may make the change as early as Friday on its larger mainline aircraft, with smaller regional planes to follow by the end of the year. American Airlines said it will submit plans to the FAA on Friday for its mainline fleet.
United Airlines, the largest carrier in Chicago, also is working on it.
“We already started work to implement this as safely and quickly as possible, and are excited to offer this new benefit, because our customers tell us they want to use their portable electronic devices,” said United Airlines spokesman Luke Punzenberger.
The rule change will not allow voice calls from wireless phones aboard planes. Larger items, such as laptops but not tablet computers, will have to be stowed during takeoffs and landings because they could hinder quick evacuation of an aircraft, the FAA said.
Frequent flier Michael Linck, 34, of Chicago, said he likes the change “because the rule hasn’t made logical sense scientifically for some time.”
“The plane is my solitude, it’s the one place where my BlackBerry doesn’t work and I can get some time to myself,” said Linck, director of sales at lighting company Traxon Technologies. “It will be great to be able to read an e-book and listen to my music the whole flight in solitude.”
The FAA’s previous policy forced passengers to turn off most portable electronic devices, such as smartphones, laptops, tablet computers and e-readers, during takeoffs and landings — technically, below 10,000 feet. The fear was that devices might interfere with flight equipment. But that concern has diminished.
Surveys have shown that many passengers do not turn off their devices, either intentionally or accidentally. Critics have said the change has been a long time coming, sometimes pointing to the fact that many pilots in the cockpit use iPads as part of their “electronic flight bag” instead of carrying bulky paper navigation charts and manuals.
“This is great news for the traveling public — and frankly, a win for common sense,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill, chairwoman of the Senate subcommittee on consumer protection, who has pushed for the change. “I applaud the FAA for taking the necessary steps to change these outdated regulations.”
Among four-person families traveling this holiday season, nearly half expect to carry at least seven smartphones, tablets and laptops, according to the Orbitz Holiday Travel Insider Index released this week.
One problem in the short term will be confusion among passengers about which airlines allow electronic devices during takeoffs and landings and which don’t, said Joe Brancatelli, a business travel writer and editor of JoeSentMe.com.
“For maybe a month or so, fliers won’t know the procedures,” he said.
Many business travelers are likely to think it’s a big and welcome change, he said.
“Probably the biggest win is that folks now won’t have to power down their Kindles, book readers and tablets,” Brancatelli said. “I really think they were the ones most interested in getting the rule changed.”
He also noted it was another blow to already struggling print publications, which were the only permitted reading material below 10,000 feet.
The change, which comes after months of study by aviation and electronics experts, would be welcome not only by the flying public but also by such companies as Amazon, which makes the Kindle reading device, and soon-to-be Chicago-based Gogo, which provides in-flight Wi-Fi Internet access. This week, Gogo announced it would relocate its headquarters and 460 employees to 111 N. Canal St. from its base in Itasca.
Gogo officials think many passengers are conditioned to turn off their devices and never turn them back on.
“By allowing passengers to keep their device turned on, our hope is that those passengers who are conditioned to disconnect might discover the more than 2,000 commercial aircraft we have outfitted with connectivity,” said Gogo spokesman Steve Nolan. He said it’s too early to predict how many more passengers might use the Gogo service.
After the change is implemented, passengers will be able to read e-books, play games and watch videos on their devices “during all phases of flight, with very limited exceptions,” the FAA said. Wireless phones should be in airplane mode or with cellular service disabled — no signal bars displayed — and cannot be used for voice calls.
The Federal Communications Commission has, since 1991, banned in-flight use of cellphones because of potential interference with ground networks.
The Association of Flight Attendants said it supports technical innovation, “but our first priorities are the safety and security of flight.”
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants expressed similar sentiment.
“We’re frankly tired of feeling like hall monitors when it comes to this issue,” said Laura Glading, president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants.
Passengers will also be able to use short-range Bluetooth accessories, such as wireless mice and keyboards.
In rare instances of low visibility, about 1 percent of the time, flight crews will instruct passengers to turn off their devices, the FAA said.
Justin Kintz, 28, of Arlington, Va., thinks it’s ironic that he was using his laptop and onboard Wi-Fi during an American Airlines flight Thursday when he read news about the FAA lifting the ban on devices during takeoffs and landings. On the flight’s descent, he said, a slightly misinformed fellow passenger refused to turn off her iPhone, telling the flight attendant that devices were now OK to use during landings.
As a frequent flier, taking five to eight flights a week, Kintz is thrilled that he will soon make the estimated 25 minutes at the beginning and end of each flight more productive. He uses a phone, tablet, laptop and Kindle on flights.
“Added up over a week, that’s going to save me a couple hours of productivity,” Kintz said. “I’m gratified that the FAA is catching up with the needs of frequent travelers.”
The new rule won’t affect Victor Lewis, 66, of Chicago, who travels frequently on business. He says he prefers to tote print editions of newspapers, magazines and books rather than the latest gadget. But he doesn’t begrudge those who like their electronic devices.
“It’s not a big deal for me unless they’re not using headphones,” he said of fellow passengers. “I don’t want to hear it.”
