Japan OKs use of smartphones, tablets during plane takeoffs, landings

Better allow an extra 10 minutes to get off from the back of the plane as to 100 people walk through the aisles with their face stuck in their phones.

Awesome! I can now stop pretending that I'm not using my phone while waiting to taxi.

What about all the half-wits who cannot, or will not, switch their phones to flight mode? They will use them regardless and the flight will be delayed whilst they try to find out who is responsible.

Awesome! I can now stop pretending that I'm not using my phone while waiting to taxi.

(sigh)...Read a book!

i'm sure there were tons of people who always used their cell phones during this banned period, and yet no single accident has ever occured as a result. this rule has always been based more on fear and not exactly science.

Safety factors aside, I am vehemently opposed to the airlines permitting voice phone conversations in situations where passengers are forced to sit in close proximity.

Even though I don't use voice, I have NEVER switched my phone off in any flight. That rule was baseless.

Safety factors aside, I am vehemently opposed to the airlines permitting voice phone conversations in situations where passengers are forced to sit in close proximity.

This disables cellular service, so passengers will still not be able to make calls or send texts.

"The new rules do not apply to some airplanes with an old design," a ministry official told AFP.

So, the headline of this story should say, "Japan OKs use of smartphones, tablets during some plane takeoffs, landings"

I wonder if that means that they will allow you to listen to music. They always had me shut off my mp3 player even though it didn't produce any radio waves.

"Hello!? I'm on a plane. Yes. Yes. No, not yet. No. Ha haaa... No, it looks like it's about to fall apart. No tv... No. Yes. Well, tell Steve I will talk to him when I'm back. No. Well, I don't care. Jeez, this is taking forever. Is some idiot late again? Yes, I found my seat. I'm in my seat. No, aisle. Nah... No, but the cabin crew are hot. I said hot. One just passed me, she's a looker that one. She's doing that thing with the seat belts and masks now. No, nobody cares. No, I said I'll talk to him after I'm back. No. Well, screw him... Screw him. Tell him he can shove that deal... Yes. Hahaaa... The lady next to me gave me a look. No, I don't think... No. Nobody speaks English in this country. Ha haaa... Well, I'll talk to you... Yes, I know, I'll tell him myself. Later. Yes. No. What? No. Gotta go. Later."

I was always under the impression that the 'radio wave interference' thing was just a cover, and they actually got you to turn these things off so (theoretically) the flight crew had your full attention in the event of an emergency during take-off and landing. I guess not.

You're a pilot, halfway over the ocean, hundreds of miles away from the ground transmitters you want to hear, but dozens of feet away from some bozo who's too smart to turn off his handheld. Remember when handhelds were the size of a brick?

Don't know if it was ever really a problem. But the idea's got some basis.

It was never about the planes. It was (and is) about hundreds of phones simultaneously and rapidly jumping from one cell tower to the next while flying low over the city and so overloading the network. The typically bureaucratic over-reaction was to ban everything. Good to see the FAA finally backing off.

"Hello!? I'm on a plane. Yes. Yes. No, not yet. No. Ha haaa... No, it looks like it's about to fall apart. No tv... No. Yes. Well, tell Steve I will talk to him when I'm back. No. Well, I don't care. Jeez, this is taking forever. Is some idiot late again? Yes, I found my seat. I'm in my seat. No, aisle. Nah... No, but the cabin crew are hot. I said hot. One just passed me, she's a looker that one. She's doing that thing with the seat belts and masks now. No, nobody cares. No, I said I'll talk to him after I'm back. No. Well, screw him... Screw him. Tell him he can shove that deal... Yes. Hahaaa... The lady next to me gave me a look. No, I don't think... No. Nobody speaks English in this country. Ha haaa... Well, I'll talk to you... Yes, I know, I'll tell him myself. Later. Yes. No. What? No. Gotta go. Later."

Sounds like the people who undo their seatbelts as soon as the tyres hit the tarmac, and the plane is still travelling at high speed down the runway.

If it was ever a safety issue they would have made you check the phone in your luggage. It was BS from the start.

Why the urgent need to text or call when on the runway i never understand. playing games on tablets or reading Kindle is ok and glad that it is now permitted.

Agree tablets and kindles should be allowed. Fact is that the switch to flight mode requirement will be even more difficult to enforce that the current outright ban. Why people are so desperate to call or text when on the runway is a mystery to me too.

I'd rather sleep and saves my energy plus avoiding jetlag.. :p

This is just a recipe for people to ignore the "airplane mode" requirement. how do cabin staff check what they are doing with their phones?

The rule that I don't understand is the one using cell phones when a plane is charging fuel in a stop when you have a flight that continues along the way... Anyway, It doesn't bother to me to switch off my smartphone, but I'm glad not to have to switch off my Ipod although I don't know if it applies here since it connects to radio and podcasts, I'll try it when I travel to Japan next year

“The new rules do not apply to some airplanes with an old design,” a ministry official told AFP.

The rule was utter BS from the start. They banned ALL electronics which meant that I had to put away my camera during the best parts of the flight, taxiing, takeoff, climb out, descent, landing and taxi to gate. Explain how a camera or even every camera on board taking pictures could possibly interfere with the 'aircraft frequencies' as they claim.

How are old are these 'older designs' of these aircraft that they are still banning electronics during taxi, takeoff and landing in Japan when in North America there is no such stupid this or that rule but all flights are now allowed?

Now if they would only stop the stupidity about not using phones near priority seats on trains because they think that they'll make pacemakers explode.

Anyway, if phones could make airplanes crash, terrorists would have been using them instead of sneaking in bombs in their shoes etc...

The rules were probably there to stop idiots panicking and causing disturbance because they thought the wings were going to fall off the plane the moment someone touches a mobile phone.

Now if they would only stop the stupidity about not using phones near priority seats on trains because they think that they'll make pacemakers explode.

agree.

So now we can look forward to be surrounded by non-stop moronic babble from all sides at phases of a flight. Right... just we need. Not.