Phone Calls On Planes: FCC, Pai Reject Plan To Allow Phone Calls On Airlines

The Federal Communications Commission rejected a proposal Monday that would have allowed for the use of cellphones on board airplanes.

The decision, issued by President Donald Trump’s appointed FCC chairman Ajit Pai, places a halt to a proceeding started by the previous administration that would have relaxed the current prohibition on placing calls while in the air.

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“I stand with airline pilots, flight attendants, and America’s flying public against the FCC’s ill-conceived 2013 plan to allow people to make cellphone calls on planes,” Pai wrote in a statement.

The chairman went on to say that he did not believe making phone calls while onboard a plane would be in the public interest. “Taking it off the table permanently will be a victory for Americans across the country who, like me, value a moment of quiet at 30,000 feet.”

Pai’s statement reflects only on the possibility of placing calls over cellular networks while in the air. The Department of Transportation proposed its own rule in December that would require airlines to inform customers if a flight supports calls over Wi-Fi, which is not addressed by the proposal Pai took aim at Monday.

The 2013 proposal under then-FCC head Tom Wheeler would have allowed for cell phone calls, texting, and other mobile services to be performed inside any aircraft flying about 10,000. Those actions would have still been prohibited during takeoff and landing.

At the time, Wheeler called the outright ban on cellphone communications “outdated and restrictive” and reasoned that technology had advanced in such a way that allowing mobile services while in the air wouldn’t be a hindrance to the aircraft.

A 2012 study conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration collected data from 11 countries and found "civil aviation authorities reported no confirmed occurrences of cell phones affecting flight safety on aircraft with on-board cellular telephone base stations."

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While there may not be any technical interference caused by cell phone usage, public opinion on the possibility of making calls on planes is not favorable. A 2013 poll conducted by YouGov found 49 percent of people surveyed did not want cell phone calls allowed on flights—compared to 31 percent who wanted the ability to place calls and 20 percent who were unsure.

The public was more open to the idea of allowing other forms of communication, including text and data services. 63 percent of people supported the ability to send and receive texts while in flight, while just 21 percent outright opposed it.