Plans to ease restrictions for cellphone calls on planes

(The Boston Globe, November 22, 2013)

Rules against making cellphone calls during airline flights are ‘‘outdated,’’ and it’s time to change them, federal regulators said Thursday, drawing immediate howls of protest from flight attendants, airline officials, and others. The Federal Aviation Administration recently lifted restrictions on the use of most personal electronic devices during takeoffs and landings, but not cellphone calls, which fall under the FCC. The FAA based its decision to ease restrictions on electronic devices on recommendations from an industry advisory group. The same advisory group also recommended that the FCC review its restrictions on phone calls.