FAA Moves Toward Easing Electronic Device Use

Relief may be on the way for airline passengers who can't bear to be separated even briefly from their personal electronic devices.

The government is moving toward allowing gate-to-gate use of music players, tablets, laptops, smartphones and other gadgets, although it may take a few months.

Restrictions on cellphone calls and Internet use and transmission are not expected to be changed.

An industry-labor advisory committee is considering recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration on easing restrictions on using electronic devices during takeoffs and landings.

The FAA said Friday that the deadline for those recommendations has been extended from July to September. Committee members asked for extra time to finish assessing whether it's safe to lift restrictions.

The FAA is under public and political pressure to ease the restrictions.

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