Email
Passengers on US flights will be allowed to use electronic devices during take-off and landing following a ruling by the Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday.
The announcement means people will be able to use ebooks, tablets and portable video games "during all phases of flight", the FAA said. Passengers will be able to keep mobile phones switched on, although they must be set to "airplane mode" or otherwise have cellular service disabled.
Minutes after the announcement, Delta Air Lines announced that it would allow its passengers to use portable electronic devices from 1 November, subject to FAA approval.
"We believe today's decision honors both our commitment to safety and consumer's increasing desire to use their electronic devices during all phases of their flights," Transportation secretary Anthony Foxx said in a FAA press release.
"These guidelines reflect input from passengers, pilots, manufacturers and flight attendants, and I look forward to seeing airlines implement these much anticipated guidelines in the near future."
The FAA announcement follows a report by the Portable Electronic Device Aviation Rulemaking Committee which recommended the FAA allow airlines to permit electronic device use if they could prove their fleet can tolerate those devices' radio interference.
Passengers will still be banned from using cell phones "for voice communications during flight", the FAA said, because cell phones send out stronger signals than non-cellular electronic devices.
Delta declared on Thursday morning that it was the first airline to submit a plan "to allow customer use of portable electronic devices below 10,000 feet".
The airline said it had 570 domestic aircraft ready to allow passengers to use their electronic devices.
;