FAA: Rules For Electronic Device Use Delayed

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The FAA said Friday that recommendations from an advisory panel that could lead to broader approved use of personal electronic devices aboard airliners have been delayed. Originally expected this summer, the FAA is now says it expects to receive the recommendations this September. Cellphone use is reportedly not within the scope of the panel’s focus. But the rule change could set the stage for worldwide standards regarding use of other electronic devices on aircraft during operations below 10,000 feet. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday its sources said that would likely happen. However, changes can still be made while a vast potential in-flight entertainment market waits on the sidelines.

The market for entertainment and business use of onboard Wi-Fi entertainment has been estimated by some sources to be well over $2 billion annually. And if the FAA’s standards are accepted worldwide, that could vastly simplify operations for European carriers with flights that routinely traverse the airspace of several countries. Following current rules has not always proven easy for passengers. The FAA’s advisory panel has reportedly included in its research reports on passenger habits, including one released last month by the Airline Passenger Experience Association and the Consumer Electronics Association. That report found that, of those people asked, roughly 30 percent said they had at least once neglected to turn off an electronic device like an iPad, tablet, cellphone or e-reader, for the duration of a flight.

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