A new bill has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would ban the use of mobile voice calls while flying in planes.
The new bill co-sponsored by democrat House Representative Pete DeFazio of Oregon, is called the “Hang Up Act” and would still allow text messaging and Web browsing to be used.
Currently the FCC does not permit in-flight voice calls and has put the issue on hold since March 2007.
Pete DeFazio of Oregon
(Photo Credit: Defazio.House.gov)
“The public doesn’t want to be subjected to people talking on their cell phones on an already over-packed airplane,” DeFazio said. “However, with Internet access just around the corner on U.S. flights, it won’t be long before the ban on voice communications on in-flight planes is lifted.
“Our bill, the HANG UP Act, would ensure that financially strapped airlines don’t drive us towards this noisome disruption in search of further revenue.”
According to a survey by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA and the National Consumers League, 63 percent of respondents said they were against the use of in-flight voice calls. Only 21 percent were in favor of allowing in flight voice calls.
DeFazio also believe that allowing in-flight voice calls would be a safety issues because passengers would not pay attention to announcements and the calls could lead to fights between passengers.
The European Union recently announced it will allow passengers to talk on their cell phones while a plane is in-flight on all commercial airlines.
