The Federal Aviation Administration announced Thursday that they would allow the use of Portable Electronic Devices, such as Kindles and iPads, on flights during takeoff and landing.
U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) has been pushing the charge to loosen the restrictions because she said it’s an inconvenience to travelers and consumers. McCaskill, who is the chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, says it’s not smart to have rules and restrictions that did not make any sense to the general public. She has been talking with the FAA for more than a year on the issue.
Communications Director John Labombard said that the previous strict regulations were the results of unelected officials and their influence, something not uncommon in Washington.
“Something that happens in Washington too often, in her opinion, is unelected bureaucrats are issuing rules and regulations that might not go widely noticed,” Labombard said. “They might be hampering consumers, might be hampering travelers and might even be interfering with job and business opportunities in Missouri.”
According to her office, once the announcement was released, multiple airline companies such as Delta and JetBlue have already announced policy changes that they would be making in the coming days.
Labombard said he was expecting the airlines would have their new policies in place by Christmas, but with the rapid response by airlines, hopes to have new policies in place by Thanksgiving. Passengers will still be prohibited to talk on their cell phones while in flight.
