AFA: Flight Attendant Union Opposes In-flight Cell Phone Use
21-Nov-2013 The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) today issued the following statement after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced the possibility that airlines could allow passengers to make cell phone calls:
"Passengers overwhelmingly reject cell phone use in the aircraft cabin. The FCC should not proceed with this proposal.
"AFA opposes any changes that would allow in-flight voice calls. Flight Attendants, as first responders and the last line of defense in our nation's aviation system, understand the importance of maintaining a calm cabin environment. Any situation that is loud, divisive, and possibly disruptive is not only unwelcome but also unsafe. Many polls and surveys conducted over the years find that a vast majority of the traveling public wants to keep the ban on voice calls in the aircraft cabin. In far too many operational scenarios, passengers making phone calls could extend beyond a mere nuisance, creating negative effects on aviation safety and security that are great and far too risky.
"Besides potential passenger conflicts, Flight Attendants also are concerned that in emergencies, cell phone use would drown out announcements and distract from life-saving instructions from the crew."