As MMi has covered in great detail over the last twenty four months, iPad use on commercial airliners has evolved rapidly. From being a device that keeps passengers entertained, to becoming a device used by pilots to help keep passengers safe, Apple's touchscreen tablet has become a fixture of the friendly skies.
But the iPad, of course, remains an electronic gadget that is lumped in with all others when the flight crew asks for all such items to be turned off during taxi, takeoff and landing of commercial aircraft. Those are the FAA's rules.
But those rules might be changing. According to a report published Sunday in the New York Times, the FFA is actively reviewing whether the iPad can safely be used during those previously prohibited times. Laura J. Brown, deputy assistant administrator for public affairs for the F.A.A., reportedly told the paper that the FAA is taking a “fresh look” at the matter.
As it now stands, the FAA will specifically look into e-readers and tablets for potential expanded use on board aircraft. It is not believed, however, that smartphones are up for consideration in the testing and review process believed to now be underway.
Source: New York Times
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