US to propose ban on in-flight cell phone calls

The Department of Transportation is drafting a proposal that could prevent airlines from allowing passengers to make in-flight cell phone calls, The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday.

In-flight calls are not currently allowed, but that could change soon because of a proposal by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler. The FCC has said its action would be "purely a technical decision" to lift outdated rules that prevent in-flight calling due to concerns about interference with ground-based cellular networks. In other words, the FCC isn't taking a position on whether in-flight calls are desirable. And airlines would still need permission from the Federal Aviation Administration and the DOT to allow them.

DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx said last December that he would consider a ban on calls, and the agency is now close to proposing one. A DOT spokesperson confirmed to the Journal that the agency "is developing 'a notice of proposed rulemaking' for publication in December that would lay out its objections to passengers making and receiving calls. It would open the issue for further comments by industry and travelers until February before making a final ruling. Regulators are focused primarily on the disruptive effects of voice calls rather than... other data use, having last year loosened restrictions that now allow airline passengers to use electronic devices for these purposes from gate to gate."

The International Air Transport Association, a trade group representing airlines, argues that the decision should be up to individual carriers. Some airlines have already said they would prohibit in-flight calls, but others may want to experiment with "passenger-friendly" ways to allow them, "such as in-flight phone booths or quiet zones," the Journal report said.