Cellphone Usage in the Air
Picture this, you are sitting. Everyone around you is moving around getting situated for the three hour flight that lies ahead. You’re comfortably packed in your heat and just waiting for the plane to take off running. “HELLO! Wait what? Speak up, I can’t hear you!” a loud booming voice is speaking to, what sounds to be like someone on the other end of the plane. But to your surprise it is young women on the phone trying to call her boyfriend. What if you had to hear her talk for the rest of the flight? This is just one of the many reasons why having cellphone use on an air plane is prohibited. The use of cell phones in an emergency situation can compromise a flight attendants ability to maintain order in an emergency situation. Along with the increase of cabin noise and the risk of creating even more tension amongst the passengers. On the flip side, the federal communications commission has proposed the usage of cell phones and other wireless devices for passengers while flying above 10,000 feet. Supports state that the usage of cellphones do not disrupt the aviation safety, and foreign airlines where it is acceptable tend to be short and unobtrusive. The Costco Connection released an article about a couple weeks ago and interviewed a couple of their members, asking them how they felt about this topic. Members that do not agree have made comments that state “I don’t want to have to listen to others’ personal conversations. [Their use] would cause tension in the sky” says Steven Underwood. Megan Miller says “[it] could potentially increase terrorist activity and allow for unruly passengers onboard.” On the other hand, those who feel that cellphones should be used have made statements such as “They may be useful in case of an emergency.” Bonnie Hoffman states. Another member, Jessica Walker, says “People have to use their cellphones for work and personal purposes, which never stop whether you’re on a flight or not.” Darryl Jenkins has over 30 years’ experience in the aviation industry, and is an adviser and consultant to airlines and aviation companies. Darryl found, after reviewing the reports from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), that mobile devices do not in fact interfere with aircraft equipment. While it may seem like a bad idea to give passengers the ability to chat on a cross-country fight, AeroMobile, a company that provides in-flight connectivity overseas has found that over 80 percent of their users do not use voice at all. Aviation authorities in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia have reported that “ there was relatively low use of cellphone voice communication on airplanes, that have been equipped with on-board cellular base stations.” The cost to make a call is about $3 to $4 per minute, so most calls are direct and quick. The FAA has also eliminated safety as a factor for prohibiting cellphone usage. There is an extremely stringent testing and certification requirement associated with installing and operating equipment on board commercial aircraft.
Veda Shook is an Alaska Airline flight attendant. She is also the president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. On every flight is the the flight attendant’s primary responsibility to help ensure the safety of every passenger. They have first responders