In March 2012 the FAA announced to reevaluate the usage of portable electronics in aeroplanes during landing and takeoff, the agency formed a committee for addressing the issue, Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) the ARC is expected to give out its ruing by summer 2013 but Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri state reported to the Politico last Thurday about her concern over FAA’s Administrator lack of direct engagement on the issue. Currently all airline passengers are supposed to switch off all of their electronic devices 10 minutes until after take off and before landing and are not supposed to turn them on until advised by the flight crew.
In a letter to FAA’s administrator the Senator expressed her disappointment at the pace in which things have been moving and voiced out that purely relying on ARC will drag this issue indefinitely and suggested a better involvement from FAA’s administrator Huerta.
Senator McCaskill said that she could not understand the logic behind the belief that a simple e-reader seeming to be a threat to the radio signals of an aeroplane. Last year the FAA approved usage of iPads as an replacement for bulky manuals for a number of commercial airlines thus saving almost $1.2 million per year on fuel costs due to reduction in weight.
McCaskill said that she will continue to work with the FAA to get things moving at a better pace but persisted that she wanted more engagement from Huerta. She suggested that the next step for her would be to call all the stakeholders and being to try put the right legislation in place.