FAA to ease ban on tech at takeoff
A Federal Aviation Administration advisory panel meeting this week is expected to relax many of the restrictions on using tech devices at takeoff and landing, The New York Times reported this weekend.
"Several panel members" have confirmed that they plan to allow reading e-books, listening to podcasts and watching videos during takeoff and landing.
The bans on talking on the phone, sending and receiving e-mails and text messages, and using Wi-Fi will remain in place, however.
The panel will recommend the changes by the end of the month; they likely will go into effect in 2014.
While airlines for decades have said that electronic devices interfere with the instruments in the cockpit, that has never really been proven.
Many passengers either refuse of forget to turn their devices off, to no ill effect.
The FAA assigned an advisory panel of industry experts to look into the rule and report back by July, but it requested an extension until the end of September to consider all planes and all airlines, the Times said.
Those in favor of the change say there are just a few cases where pilots felt tech devices interfered with the flight, and the link has not been proven.
Those opposed say turning off the tech for 20 minutes is really not such a big inconvenience if there is any doubt about safety.
Cheryl
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