The use of cell phones on airplanes may be coming to an end as the United States Department of Transportation is mulling new regulations to ban all in-flight cell phone use.
While major international airlines, including Emirates Airlines, allow in-flight cell phone use, a number of American airlines, including Delta and United, have not been allowing cell phone use citing safety concerns, even though there are no regulations in the US that would bar them from doing so.
Despite the early rumors over the potential ban, a DOT spokesperson said the agency had no definitive plans as yet to ban cell phone use.
"At this point, there is no final determination...let alone a final rule," says a DOT spokesperson.
The DOT and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have been reviewing a series of in-flight regulations, including an October 2013 decision that allows passengers to leave devices powered on during the duration of a flight but in airplane mode only.
The debate over cell phones and other mobile devices use during flights has heated up in recent months, with Tech Times reporting the UK is now mandating all passengers have phones and other devices charged up and powered on for inspection prior to boarding. If a passenger's phone has no power, it won't be allowed on the flight.
"Passengers on some routes into and out of the UK may now also be required to show that electronic devices in their hand luggage are powered up or face not being allowed to bring the device onto the aircraft," Britain's transport department said in a written statement.
Back in the U.S., however, the battle over cell phones could be just ready to hit off, with some reports suggesting that airlines may attempt to fight over a DOT ruling, despite a number of airlines having their own restrictions in place.
The entire issue stems from a 2013 FAA rule modification that would give passengers the ability to use their devices "gate-to-gate" and ending the restriction on using mobile devices below 10,000 feet in the air.
