AFA-CWA Opposes End to In-Flight Cell Phone Ban

The Federal Communications Commission is considering lifting the current ban on the use of cell phones by airline passengers during flight, and that's a nightmare scenario for flight attendants and the traveling public, said Pat Friend, president of AFA-CWA.

The FCC will accept comments about this proposal until April 11, then will proceed with its rule making process.

So far, hundreds of flight attendants, pilots and passengers have submitted comments, the overwhelming majority of them negative, said Friend.

Despite a big push for the proposal from the aviation industry and some business passengers, there are critical navigational and safety issues that have not yet been resolved, as well as concern about growing "air rage" incidents.

"Flight attendants are very concerned that passengers will be distracted from hearing important safety and emergency instructions," Friend said. "And imagine being sandwiched between non-stop 'phone-yakkers' for a four- or five-hour flight. That's a sure prescription for air rage," she added.

The FCC is only concerned with interference with commercial wireless communications on the ground, but an expert study of cell phone use and flight safety issues conducted for the Federal Aviation Administration won't be completed for another year. Many pilots have filed incident reports about the problems cell phone use already has caused with the Aviation Safety Reporting System, a project of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

AFA-CWA is urging flight attendants and other CWAers to send their comments to the FCC at www.nocellphonesonplanes.com.