Electronic Devices on Airplanes: Looser Regulations may be Coming

You still won’t be able to make cell phone calls from the air, but your electronic leash may get a little bit looser while you’re flying. 

Last week, a Federal Aviation Administration advisory panel recommended that airline passengers should be able to use electronic devices such as smart phones, tablets and e-readers during takeoff and landing. However, people would have to switch to “airplane” mode and refrain from using cellular networks for phone calls, downloading data or surfing the mobile web, the Associated Press reported.

“But people could still read e-books, listen to music, watch movies, play games and do work,” according to the AP, allowing people to access items on their devices.

The rules were originally put in place to prevent electronic devices from interfering with equipment in the cockpit, but newer planes are better able to handle possible interference and “critics have long complained that the safety concerns behind the regulations are groundless,” AP reported.

This week, the FAA advisory panel said airline passengers also should be able to use wi-fi at levels under 10,000 feet, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The changes may not take effect until 2014, and that’s only if the FAA accepts the recommendations.

What do you think? Will you enjoy flying more if the FAA recommendations are accepted?