Portable Electronic Devices on Aircraft

Commercial aviation helps drive more than 10M American jobs and 5 cents of every dollar of U.S. GDP
Commercial aviation drives more than $1 trillion per year in economic activity
In 2012, U.S. airlines moved more than 48,000 tons of cargo per day
In 2012, the value of a kilogram of U.S. merchandise exported by air averaged 121 times the value exported by sea
For every 100 airline jobs, some 360 are supported outside of the airline industry
Federal taxes constitute $61 – or 20% – of the price of a typical $300 domestic round-trip ticket
In 2011, U.S. airlines carried 16 percent more passengers and cargo using 10 percent less fuel than in 2000
Domestically, airlines drive 5% of economic activity but account for 2% of man-made GHG emissions
From 2000-2011, airlines reduced GHG emissions by 11% while transporting 16% more passengers and cargo
From 1975-2011, U.S. airlines and their partners reduced significant noise exposure by 99%
Commercial air travel is the safest form of intercity transportation in the United States
In the most recent decade, scheduled air service on U.S. airlines was seven times safer than in the 1970s
From 2000-2012, U.S. airlines improved the on-time arrival rate from 72.6% to 81.9%
From 2000-2012, U.S. airlines reduced the flight cancellation rate sharply from 3.30% to 1.29%
Airfares are a bargain: From 2000-2012, U.S. CPI rose 33% while average domestic fare rose just 14%
Adjusted for inflation, the average round-trip domestic airfare fell 15% from 2000
2007 domestic flight delays cost the United States approximately $31 billion
In 2012, the value of U.S. merchandise exported by air reached an all-time high of $427B
In 2012, U.S. exports of air-travel services reached an all-time high of $39.5B, driving a $5.1B trade surplus
In 2012, U.S. passenger and cargo airlines spent more than $50B on fuel, averaging 36% of operating expenses
In 2012, U.S. airlines posted the lowest annual rate of mishandled baggage ever recorded
FAA projects U.S. air travel demand to top 1 billion passengers in 2027
In 2012, US airlines flew 83.4 million passengers in scheduled international service - a record high
In 2012, the total value of merchandise exported from or imported to the United States by air exceeded $927 billion
In 2012, 7.15 teragrams of merchandise was exported from or imported to the United States by air

	Portable Electronic Devices on Aircraft
	PubZone1 The increasing popularity of portable electronic devices (PEDs) such as smart phones, laptop computers, DVD players, e-readers, noise-canceling headphones, tablets and video games being brought onboard aircraft and used (sometimes unknowingly) when the plane is below 10,000 feet remains an area that is under close review by aviation safety professionals. Because of the growing presence and the public’s desire to allow greater use of PEDs inflight, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently convened an Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) to take a fresh look at policies and guidance related to their use. This committee of PED manufacturers, aircraft operators and FAA and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) representatives will, by July 31, 2013, provide the FAA with recommendations that might permit more widespread use inflight while maintaining the highest levels of safety for passengers and crew. Why EMI Matters Today, the majority of passengers carry one or more PED on an airplane and the cause for concern is because certain PEDs have the potential to cause electro-magnetic interference (EMI) with aircraft electronic systems. If strong enough, EMI can cause cockpit instruments to display incorrect readings and other anomalies. Although PEDs are known to be capable of causing EMI, the effects depend on a number of variables and often cannot be duplicated. Due to the unpredictable nature of EMI and its potential to affect flight safety, measures to control it necessarily are conservative. Concerns over EMI remain greatest for PEDs that can transmit high-power signals, such as cell and smart phones. Additionally, FCC regulations prohibit the use of cell phones during flight due to problems they cause with cellular networks on the ground. Many airlines have also installed aircraft systems that make the Internet available to various PEDs during flight. By simply being turned “on,” these PEDs emit electro-magnetic energy, but usually at power levels too weak to cause EMI. PEDs become an EMI concern and require control if they merely have the capability to actively transmit signals, even low-power signals such as laptop wireless connection features. Adding to the need for controls, passengers may not know if their device is in a mode that transmits, nor can we expect flight attendants to determine if a particular device is transmitting. Because FAA authorizations require airlines to determine whether or not PEDs brought aboard their airplanes could cause interference problems, and control PED use accordingly, each airline has adopted its own policy, but in meeting this responsibility, they typically follow recommendations by RTCA, Inc. In general, devices having little potential to cause EMI, including those having a capability to transmit at low-power (e.g., laptops) must be turned completely off during flight below 10,000 feet (including takeoffs and landings). Policies and FCC regulations require that high-power transmitters (e.g., cell phones) be turned completely off during flight. However, recently, the FAA approved the pilot-use of airline-controlled iPads during all phases of flight, on some aircrafts. The iPad, following extensive testing, has become standard in the flight deck providing pilots with stored, digital information including flight charts and maps, which helps keep flights on track and on time. Background The RTCA began an investigation of PEDs in 1983 that resulted in publication of a report in 1988. RTCA concluded that devices designed to transmit signals, such as cellular phones, remote control toys and citizen band radios could cause interference and should be banned from aircraft. The RTCA found no compelling evidence of interference from PEDs that do not intentionally transmit signals, but nonetheless recommended they be banned from use during takeoffs and landings to assure an added margin of safety during those critical phases of flight. In January 1992, the Air Transport Association petitioned the FAA to adopt the RTCA recommendations as a federal regulation. However, FAA opted for further study and commissioned RTCA to resume its investigations. In 1996, the RTCA published the second study on the use of PEDs and made the following recommendations: 1. The FAA should prohibit the use of any PED during any critical phase of flight. Additionally, any PED which has the capability to intentionally transmit electromagnetic energy should be prohibited in aircraft at all times, unless testing has been conducted to approve its safe use. 2. PED testing efforts of existing and new devices (such as satellite communications and two-way pagers) should be continued by the FAA, the airline industry and related manufacturers to further understand their potential interference with aircraft systems. 3. A public awareness campaign should be initiated by the FAA, the airline industry and related manufacturers to educate the public about PEDs and their potential interference hazards, especially those designed as intentional radiators or transmitters. 4. Government and the airline industry should pursue research into the design and feasibility of detection devices within the aircraft cabin to locate emissions that produce interference. The Current Environment In the last few years, airlines have responded to traveler requests for more inflight and mobile access onboard during flight. This allows for the use of laptops, computers, smart phones and other devices once the aircraft reaches a safe cruising altitude. However, each airline has implemented its own policy on which devices are acceptable for use. In addition, some airlines may allow passengers to turn their cell or smart phones onto “airplane mode,” which disables the phone’s ability to make a phone call. Typically, passengers are permitted to use cell and smart phones once the aircraft is taxiing to the gate in which case users may talk on their phone, check email or send a text message. To learn more about using PEDs onboard, please view: FAA Fact Sheet on the use Cell Phones, Wi-Fi and Portable Electronics on Airplanes FCC: Wireless Devices on Airplanes To learn about your carrier’s PED policy, please view: Alaska Airlines American Airlines Delta Air Lines Hawaiian Airlines JetBlue Airways Southwest Airlines United Airlines US Airways PubZone2	Safety is the number one priority for our airlines.