Federal officials are inching closer to a world where airline passengers can continue reading their Kindle or finish watching a movie on an iPad during take-off and landing, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.
According to the paper, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to relax its ban on the use of certain types of electronics in low altitudes - though we could be waiting a few more months.
In a statement emailed to PCMag, the FAA said that the agency "recognizes consumers are intensely interested in the use of personal electronics aboard aircraft, [and] that is why we tasked a government-industry group to examine the safety issues and the feasibility of changing the current restrictions."
"At the group's request," the statement continued, "the FAA has granted the two-month extension to complete the additional work necessary for the safety assessment. We will wait for the group to finish its work before we determine next steps."
A formal decision likely won't come until after the FAA receives the final version of the advisory panel's study, expected at the end of September.
The Journal got its hands on a copy of the agency's plans, reporting that while the current draft doesn't mention changes to cell phone rules, panel members believe a discussion about allowing their use should be part of the final product. The group intends "to provide a separate addendum" that the FAA "may or may not address," the paper said.
At this point, the use of cellular phones in the 800 MHz band or other wireless devices on flights is prohibited by the Federal Communications Commission because of potential interference with wireless networks on the ground.
News of the industry group's efforts were first reported in March.
Though the FAA's rules have remained unchanged over the past five decades, an explosion in personal technology usage has forced the agency's hand. According to a May study from DePaul University's Chaddick Institute of Metropolitan Planning, about 35 percent of domestic flight passengers use "tablets and other sophisticated devices," up from 28 percent last year, and 17.6 percent in 2010.
Editor's Note: This story was updated at noon Eastern with comment from the FAA.
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