Personal Electronic Devices has been a hot topic for some time, with airlines only recently within the past year allowing them to be used during all stages of flight.
It seems the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has declared that devices do not have to be have to be switched off.
EASA states:
Airlines can also allow the use of portable electronic devices (PEDs) throughout the flight, after a safety assessment process. As a result, passengers will be able to use their PEDs just like in any other mode of transport: throughout the trip.
The new guidance allows airlines to permit PEDs to stay switched on, without the need to be in ‘Airplane Mode’. This is the latest regulatory step towards enabling the ability to offer ‘gate-to-gate’ telecommunication or WiFi services.
PEDs include any kind of electronic device brought on board the aircraft by a passenger such as smartphone, tablet, laptop, e-reader, MP3 player,etc.
So what this do? It allows full gate-to-gate WiFi use on a plane, and permit the use of mobile phones or devices with cellular phone connectivity (such as tablets) to be left in the on position once a safety assessment has been passed.
EASA says Phones and tablets are good to go with this.. laptop computers not so much.
Of course, getting a mobile phone signal at 30,000ft and above is rather tough, so if the use of mobile phones and voice traffic going to be popular, airlines will have to install cells and such.
Roll-out will be varied between airlines due to the assessment process, and if the airlines require the devices to be switched into flight mode or not.
Whilst this is a welcome announcement from EASA – that your mobile phone won’t down a plane – this will cause fragmentation in travel. It’s taken time for airlines to allow Personal Electronic Devices to be used (with some airlines and aviation authorities not allowing this). Adding another dimension to this could cause additional confusion to customers who are told one rule one airline, and have to follow another rule on another airline.
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