Although passenger use of portable electronic devices (PEDs) on airplanes
has recently expanded, pilots will see no such changes.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a final rule reinforcing that airline pilots cannot use PEDs for personal use during all operations. FAA says its "sterile cockpit" rule from 1981 forbids pilots to partake in distracting behavior during critical phases of flight and it asks carriers to address distractions through crew training programs.
According to its press release, the agency says the final rule "codifies existing FAA policies and procedures and meets an FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 mandate by prohibiting all commercial airline (passenger and cargo) flight crews from using personal wireless communications devices or laptop computers for personal reasons during aircraft operations."
