The Federal Aviation Administration said it would review its policy of the use of electronic devices on airplanes. Currently electronic devices such as Kindles, iPads and iPods cannot be used during the aircraft’s taking off and landing.
Research and experts in the field have said that these types of devices cannot do harm to an airplane. Therefore, the FAA has decided to take a fresh look at its policy for use of electronics on airplanes.
Many air passengers in the U.S. will be pleased if the rules are changed. Over 40 million electronic devices for reading and 60 million electronic tablets have been sold in the U.S. The FAA said they would test tablets, e-readers and other electronic devices on planes to see what if any harm their use has on the aircraft. Testing has not been performed since 2006. That was long before the first iPad or Kindle even existed.
One device the FAA said it would not include in their fresh look is the smartphone. Those 150 million devices will remain unusable on the FAA’s list. Many feel the FAA has decided to look into changing its policy because of public pressure.
The FAA is also looking into bringing together manufacturers of consumer electronics, avionics and aircraft manufacturers, pilots, and airlines to figure a way to allow more use of the devices on planes.
