Do gadgets really need to be turned off during flights?
With holiday travel season upon us, many fliers are questioning whether they must truly shut down their iPads before takeoff
"Ladies and gentleman, we'll be landing soon. All electronic devices must now be powered off." That familiar, groan-inducing announcement is heard on just about every commercial flight. But is it necessary? Can a laptop really screw up a jumbo jet's communication system during takeoff and landing? As the holiday travel season approaches, commentators are asking once again: Is it time to change the rule?
This is a pointless rule: "If electronic gadgets could bring down an airplane," says Nick Bilton in The New York Times, "you can be sure that the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration… wouldn't allow passengers to board a plane with an iPad or Kindle, for fear that they would be used by terrorists." The truth is, there's no evidence that these devices are dangerous. When was the last time you heard about a plane crash caused by an iPod? It's time to rethink this policy.
"Disruptions: Fliers must turn off devices, but it's not clear why"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
And it won't help us deal with emergencies: The only legitimate rationale for forcing passengers to power down gadgets, says James Fallows in The Atlantic, is that the airline cabin crew might need to get everyone's full attention immediately in the event of an emergency. But I think people would pay attention in the event of a "real emergency," regardless of whether their iPads were on. "The real distraction is the series of obviously phony, 'security theater' warnings we have to pretend to take seriously."
"'All electronic devices must now be powered off' — But why?"
Actually, gadgets could pose a real threat: It's "simplistic" and wrong to assume that it's safe to use gadgets on planes just because iPods haven't triggered crashes to date, says Christine Negroni at SeattlePI.com. There was a "spectacular mid-air collision" in 1960 between two planes that were off course because of radio interference. Electromagnetic interference has been a contributing factor in several accidents. And there have been multiple reports of pilots having problems in the cockpit thanks to a passenger's use of a gadget. Better safe than sorry.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 conspiratorial cartoons about FEMA
Cartoons Artists take on paper towel politics, king-sized conspiracies, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Take an island-hopping trip around Brittany
The Week Recommends From neolithic monuments to colourful harbours, there is much to discover
By The Week UK Published
-
Why has Joker: Folie à Deux divided critics?
Talking Point The sequel to Joker is 'staggeringly inept' in its attempts to explore mental health issues – but Lady Gaga is 'magnetic'
By The Week UK Published