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This final rule will prohibit flightcrew members
in operations under part 121 from using a
personal wireless communications device or
laptop computer for personal use while at their
duty station on the flight deck while the
aircraft is being operated. This rule, which
conforms FAA regulations with legislation, is
intended to ensure that certain non-essential
activities do not contribute to the challenge of
task management on the flight deck or a loss of
situational awareness due to attention to
non-essential tasks.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Modernization and Reform Act of
2012 (the Act) was enacted on February 14, 2012.
Section 307 of the Act,
Prohibition on Personal Use of Electronic
Devices on the Flight Deck, makes it ‘‘unlawful
for a flight crewmember of an aircraft used to
provide air transportation under part 121 of
title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to use a
personal wireless communications device or
laptop computer while at the flight crewmember’s
duty station on the flight deck of such an
aircraft while the aircraft is being operated.’’
The legislation also states that this
prohibition does not apply to the use of a
personal wireless communications device or
laptop computer for a purpose directly related
to operation of the aircraft, or for emergency,
safety-related, or employment-related
communications, in accordance with procedures
established by the air carrier and the FAA. |
