House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Senior Member Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.) announced on Friday that the FAA and airlines will have the final say on whether or not to allow passengers to make in-flight phone calls.
Petri was a cosponsor of the Halting Airplane Noise to Give Us Peace Act of 2008. The measure, which would have prohibited in-flight passenger phone calls, was voted out of committee but was not considered by the House of Representatives.
“As a cosponsor of previous legislation to prohibit voice calls on flights, I received a call from the FCC (on Thursday) clarifying that, while it is looking at this from a technology perspective, it is up to the FAA and the airlines to decide whether we should allow phone calls,” Petri said.
The FCC could rule that it’s safe to use mobile devices to make phone calls during flights from a technology perspective, but the FAA and private airlines could still opt to disallow phone calls on flights.
“The idea of using iPads and other electronic devices would likely be welcomed by travelers, but the thought of listening to phone calls while trapped in a small space raises legitimate concerns,” Petri said.
Petri said the proposal was still in its beginning stages.