Ted Falk, Member of Parliament for Provencher, welcomed the announcement by the Hon. Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport, regarding personal electronic devices. The Harper Government is changing an important regulation that will benefit travelers flying with Canadian air operators.
Passengers will soon be able to use portable electronic devices such as cameras, electronic games, tablets and computers during all phases of flight. This includes while an aircraft takes off, climbs, descends and lands, provided the device is in non-transmitting, or flight mode, and that their airline has met certain safety conditions outlined by Transport Canada.
“This is great news for air passengers in Canada”, said MP Falk. These changes will allow Canadians to fully enjoy their travel time while enabling the airlines to maintain the highest standards of aviation safety.”
Previously, passengers could not use their devices at their leisure during take off and landing. This change, which is made possible through an exemption to the Canadian Aviation Regulations, means that passengers will soon be able to work or play whenever they please on flights in Canada. It strikes the appropriate balance between safety and passenger comfort that Transport Canada and airlines always strive to achieve.
The use of electronic devices on any flight will be at the discretion of the air operators, who must demonstrate that their aircraft are not affected by the use of the devices and that during critical phases of flight and during emergencies, all passengers are aware of and able to follow crew instructions.
