The Association of Flight Attendants-
CWA strongly supported a set of proposed standards, unveiled today by an
electronics industry association, aimed at making it easier and more
verifiable for passengers to disable wireless device components in
compliance with airline safety rules. “With the proliferation of new multi-function electronic devices with
wireless transmitters, including cell phones, laptop computers and PDAs,
airline crew and passengers are often not sure whether transmitters on a
given device are on, or capable of being turned on inadvertently,” said
Candace Kolander of the AFA Air Safety, Health and Security Department.
“Many travelers want to use these devices in-flight to write letters,
check appointments, listen to music or play video games. The purpose of
this Recommended Practice is to give passengers and crew, during those
in-flight periods when non-transmitting electronic devices are allowed, a
clear, consistent indication that wireless transmitters are truly
disabled.”

Portable Electronic Devices, or PEDs, often include transmitters that may
interfere with an aircraft’s communications and navigational systems.
“Recommended Practice—Status Indicator for and Control of Transmitters
in Portable Electronic Devices” meets three critical objectives:

* To develop an easily identifiable symbol, consistent across a wide
variety of device types, shapes and sizes, which indicates that a wireless
device’s transmitter is disabled; * To make it easy to disable and enable
a device’s wireless transmitter; and * To encourage consistent terminology
across the airline and technology industries with regard to portable
electronic devices.

The recommendations were developed during the past year by the Consumer
Electronics Association’s PEDs Working Group, which includes AFA and other
airline labor organizations as well as airline management groups and
wireless product and component manufacturers.
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