The FAA Has Turned Off The No Electronics Sign

[ReadWrite]

The Federal Aviation Administration is giving U.S. airline passengers a nice treat for Halloween: the ability to use electronic devices for longer periods in flight.

See also: FAA Pondering Gate-To-Gate Policy For Gadgets On Airplanes

 An announcement from the FAA stated that the regulatory agency determined that the use of electronic devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets would not interfere with a passenger plane's navigation and system controls.

Passengers will eventually be able to read e-books, play games, and watch videos on their devices during all phases of flight, with very limited exceptions. Electronic items, books and magazines, must be held or put in the seat back pocket during the actual takeoff and landing roll.

Cell phone calls will still not be allowed at any point in the flight.

The FAA emphasizes that current practices are still in effect, so don't whip out your ebook reader under 10,000 feet just yet. Airlines will need to follow FAA guidance and then have their new procedures approved by the FAA before devices can be more widely used.

Image courtesy of Flickr/epSos.de via CC.

[ReadWrite]