On November 27 during the 200th Session of the ICAO Coucil, which is attended by the Permanent Representative of Poland on Council of ICAO - Dr. Małgorzata Polkowska, the meeting on the planned changes of using portable electronic devices (PED) on board the aircraft was held. Changes planned by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) was presented by Mrs. Daniel Defossar, EASA Rulemaking Air Operations Section Manager.
During the meeting Mrs. Defossar presented the planned changes to the EASA guidance on the use of electronic devices such as tablets, smartphones, e-readers and mp3 players. The proposed regulations allow the use of the above mentioned devices in flight mode during all phases of flight. Current EASA guidance allows the use of PED on board the aircraft except during critical phases of flight such as taxiing, take-off and landing. Bulky devices such as laptops for safety reasons will still need to be placed in the overhead compartments during taxiing, take-off and landing.
These changes will be applicable to aircraft operated by European airlines. According to the new guidance, the air carrier, following its assessment, will be able to allow passengers to use their electronic devices in all phases of flight. In the longer term, EASA plans to allow the passengers to make calls using mobile phones on board aircraft. The Agency recognizes the prevalence of this type of equipment and the desire of passengers to use their devices without restrictions.
At the end of October Department of Transportation of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also announced the release of the guidance on the use of personal electronic devices during all phases of flight. According to FAA guidance airlines should assess the risks of potential PED-induced avionics problems for their airplanes and specific operations during critical phases of flight. Each airline will determine how and when they will allow passengers broader use of PEDs.