--- title: The Debate Over In-Flight Phone Calls Rages On | TIME description: Coming up this Wednesday, the Department of Transportation will continue its long debate on cell phone use while in flight. canonical: https://time.com/video/bd8jS15e/ og:title: The Debate Over In-Flight Phone Calls Rages On og:description: Coming up this Wednesday, the Department of Transportation will continue its long debate on cell phone use while in flight. og:url: https://time.com/video/bd8jS15e/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/bd8jS15e/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Debate Over In-Flight Phone Calls Rages On twitter:description: Coming up this Wednesday, the Department of Transportation will continue its long debate on cell phone use while in flight. twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/bd8jS15e/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # The Debate Over In-Flight Phone Calls Rages On > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: The Debate Over In-Flight Phone Calls Rages On [Watch (HLS stream): The Debate Over In-Flight Phone Calls Rages On](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/bd8jS15e.m3u8) (1:55)  _Published 2014-10-28. Coming up this Wednesday, the Department of Transportation will continue its long debate on cell phone use while in flight._ --- Jul 27, 2023 5:26 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [2016 CNBC GOP DEBATE: Graham on iPhone and Trump](/video/spQKxSoV/) ### 2016 CNBC GOP DEBATE: Graham on iPhone and Trump [Fake Cell Phone Towers Could Be Tapping Into Your Phone](/video/Qiz2DbKT/) ### Fake Cell Phone Towers Could Be Tapping Into Your Phone [The Cell Phone Turns 40](/video/MxhokURv/) ### The Cell Phone Turns 40 --- ## Transcript The standard used to be, turn off your cellphones while in the air. Now all passengers have to do is not make phone calls. But soon enough, that rule could change too. Coming up this Wednesday, the Department of Transportation will continue its long debate on cellphone use while in flight. The DOT's advisory committee for aviation consumer protection will be meeting in the nation's capital. The issue was relatively stagnant for two decades. But has seen some major changes in recent months. Most commercial airplanes can tolerate radio interference from portable electronic devices. A year ago, Michael Huerta of the FAA announced passengers will be able to use their electronic devices, gate to gate. But that change does not include phone calls while in the air. Meanwhile across the pond, the European Aviation. The Safety Agency or EASA recently moved into unchartered territory by passing the decision to the airlines, making what was once a safety issue now more a question of customer experience. Nice, quiet, train, train or plane journeys, where you don't have to be. You know, inflicted with somebody else's personal stories. I don't want to sit next to someone who's talking on their phone for several hours. It's be awful. Along with all the passengers who oppose the prospect of in- flight calls, flight attendants are fighting cells phones being out at all during take off and landing. As SlashGear puts it, flight attendants say that it's become obvious passengers no longer listen to the safety instructions. given when leaving the gate, and, to a lesser extent, that larger devices such as tablets could become dangerous projectiles during turbulence. Even Congress has taken time to weigh in with 77 representatives signing a letter with potential concerns. Specifically, the idea of passengers getting into arguments in a metal tube. Thousands of feet in the air. 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