c.2012 New York Times News Service via Peninsula Daily News
WASHINGTON —
Air travelers who carry smartphones, digital tablets and other electronic devices have long complained about having to turn off their gadgets until reaching an altitude of 10,000 feet.
On a clear day with no air traffic, that could mean shutting off the devices for 20 minutes or so. But if a flight is delayed, this form of electronic solitary confinement can last a lot longer — and pose a significant hardship for those desperate to connect.
The Federal Aviation Administration may be softening a bit on the restrictions, taking a first step in possibly accommodating the growing pervasiveness of digital technology.
The agency has initiated a review of its policies about electronic devices in all phases of flight, including takeoff and landing.
The FAA said Monday that it would set up a group composed of technology manufacturers, plane makers, pilots and flight attendants to examine the issues this fall. The group would report back within six months.
Aviation experts said that the initiative signaled a break with the past, but they suggested travelers should not expect the ban to be relaxed significantly soon.
“I don’t think this will be a free-for-all in the end,” said Robert W. Mann, an airline analyst based in Port Washington, N.Y.
“There’s a gray area in existing policy that the FAA is seeking to clarify. It might end up with establishing new red lines about what you can and cannot do and give carriers more discretion.”
The FAA does not actually ban the electronic devices, but it requires airlines to test them and determine that the devices’ radio frequencies do not pose a flight safety risk.
Since that would mean testing thousands of types of gadgets, with more introduced each month, the airlines have simply banned their use during takeoff and landing.
That policy is becoming tougher to enforce, however. At the same time, more pilots are using iPads inside the cockpits to replace their aircraft manuals.
