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Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) plans to introduce a bill today prohibiting in-flight cell phone voice communications on commercial aviation flights.

Shuster’s legislation, the “Prohibiting In-Flight Voice Communications on Mobile Wireless Devices Act of 2013,” comes in the wake of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) announced plans to review the current ban on the use of cell phones for calls in the aircraft cabin during flights.

“Let’s face it, airplane cabins are by nature noisy, crowded, and confined,” Shuster said.  “For the most part, passengers are looking for ways to make their flights go by as quickly and quietly as possible.  Pilots and flight attendants are focused on ensuring a safe and comfortable flight for everyone onboard.

“For passengers, being able to use their phones and tablets to get online or send text messages is a useful in-flight option.  But if passengers are going to be forced to listen to the gossip in the aisle seat, it’s going to make for a very long flight,” Shuster said.  “For those few hours in the air with 150 other people, it’s just common sense that we all keep our personal lives to ourselves and stay off the phone.”

The legislation simply prohibits use of mobile devices for voice communications during the in-flight portion of any scheduled domestic commercial flight, exempting any on-duty members of the flight crew and flight attendants, or federal law enforcement personnel acting in an official capacity.

Click here to read the bill.

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