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

Passenger with gadget
(Image credit: Ashley Jouhar/cultura/Corbis)

"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.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us