WASHINGTON, D.C.
U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow has issued the following statement, spurred by a recent announcement from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that it will consider allowing cell phone conversations on passenger flights above 10,000 feet:
“When considering this kind of policy change, safety and security always need to be the top priority, and the final policy needs to be coherent and readily enforceable. We should also carefully consider whether allowing open cell phone conversations during flights truly enhances the passenger experience. Personally, I have my doubts that the traveling public will wholeheartedly embrace this, but we should be abundantly clear on whether or not that’s true before this policy is allowed to proceed.
“Bottom line: this decision should be undertaken based on the best possible data—data on safety, data from passengers, data from airlines and flight crews—as was the decision by the FAA a couple weeks ago to consider allowing the limited use of electronic devices on planes. If enacted, this new policy on phone calls would be a sizable step beyond that.”
