FCC To FAA: C’mon, Let People Use Electronics During Takeoff

FCC To FAA: C’mon, Let People Use Electronics During Takeoff


The US Federal Aviation Authority has been mulling over the idea of allowing the use of electronic devices during takeoff for a little while now. The US Federal Communications Commission, however, is getting impatient — and its chairman is now urging the FAA to get a move on.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski wrote a letter — people still do that! — to Michael Huerta, the acting administrator of the FAA, this week, reports The Hill. He urged him that it was time to “enable greater use of tablets, ereaders and other portable devices” during flights. Finally, good sense. His reasoning is something we can all agree with:

“[M]obile devices are increasingly interwoven in our daily lives. They empower people to stay informed and connected with friends and family, and they enable both large and small businesses to be more productive and efficient, helping drive economic growth and boost U.S. competitiveness.”

In the scraps of the letter that are publicly available, he doesn’t mention that gadgets won’t make an aeroplane explode. But we’re sure that’s what he was getting at. [The Hill]

Image: Derrick Coetzee/Flickr


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