FAA May Allow Electronics During Takeoffs and Landings

For many frequent flyers, one of the inconveniences of air travel is the ban on personal electronic devices during takeoffs and landings, also known as "critical phase of flight." That rule may change in the future, according to a recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announcement. The FAA said that it will begin discussions with key stakeholders, including airlines, aircraft and electronics manufacturers and flight attendant unions to see if there is a practical way to test the in-flight safety of electronics devices. The devices on the table to be tested include e-readers, tablets and music players. The testing and use of cellphones, including smartphones will not be re-examined, per the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which already has banned cellphones during takeoffs and landings.

The FAA last tested electronic devices in 2006, before many current devices such as iPads, Android tablets, and eReaders even existed. For this reason, the FAA is taking a "fresh look" at the use of personal electronic devices, other than cellphones. The FAA is also prompting discussions because the airlines have not conducted independent testing.

The testing of electronic devices is both complicated and costly. In order for a device to become approved, the FAA will require each airline to test multiple versions of a device on separate flights with no passengers. So to approve the Kindle eBook, for example, each version will have to be tested under the FAA's guidelines. One possible solution being discussed is for the major airlines to team up and create a single test aircraft, funded by the electronics manufacturers who have a vested interest in revising the current FAA regulations.

Current FAA Electronics Policy

Prior to this announcement, the FAA already permitted airlines to test electronic devices to determine if they create enough of a transmission to interfere with an aircraft's communication and navigation systems. But, because there are so many individual electronic devices, makes and models - and technology is advancing and products changing all the time - few airlines have actually done the testing the FAA requires. Instead, most airlines take the simpler route of following FAA guidelines for in-flight electronics usage: Passengers are allowed to use most personal electronic devices, other than cellphones, after an aircraft's cabin doors have been closed and it has reached 10,000 feet. All electronic devices must be turned off before the cabin doors are closed and the plane begins taxiing down the runway.

The reason for this rule is that the FAA, airlines and pilots are concerned that transmissions from electronic devices would interfere with an aircraft's communication and navigation systems. To date, the FAA is not aware of any aviation accident that was directly caused by, or the result of, interference from personal electronic devices.