Following in the footsteps of the FAA, the European Aviation Safety Agency will recommend that airlines allow mobile device use from takeoff to landing.
(Credit: CNET UK)
European air travelers may soon be able to use their mobile gadgets during a whole flight.
On Wednesday, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said it will publish guidance this month that will allow the use of smartphones, tablets, e-readers and MP3 players from takeoff to landing as long as they're in flight mode or airplane mode. Current guidelines prohibit the total use of such devices except during taxiing, takeoff, and landing.
The new recommendations will apply to planes operated by European airlines. As a next step, EASA is investigating ways to allow mobile phone users to make phone calls while onboard the plane.
"This is a major step in the process of expanding the freedom to use personal electronic devices on board aircraft without compromise in safety," EASA executive director Patrick Ky said in a statement.
The decision by EASA follows a similar one by the Federal Aviation Administration to allow the use of mobile devices from departure to arrival as long as they're put into airplane mode.
Journalist, software trainer, and Web developer Lance Whitney writes columns and reviews for CNET, Computer Shopper, Microsoft TechNet, and other technology sites. His first book, "Windows 8 Five Minutes at a Time," was published by Wiley & Sons in November 2012.
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