FLYERSRIGHTS.ORG INTEREST GROUP WEIGHS IN ON IN-FLIGHT USE OF CELL PHONES
November 18, 2014
On October 25, 2014, Flyersrights.org, the largest nonprofit airline passenger organization, sent a formal opposition letter to the U.S. DOT Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection regarding the use of cell phones for voice communications on airliners.
In its correspondence, Flyersrights.org President Paul Hudson highlighted the fact that airline passengers, as well as flight crew members, overwhelmingly oppose the idea of allowing passengers to have cell phone conversations within the passenger cabin. To support this statement he pointed out that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would allow airlines to decide this issue closed in May 2014 and received over 1,400 public comments, of which 98% were in opposition.
He also raised safety and security concerns, such as the possibility of terrorists using cell phones to coordinate attacks, interfere with pilot and crew communications or trigger bombs, and the fact that passengers already have access to internet email using laptops and tablet computers so there is little reason to support a need for voice communications within the cabin.