US airlines may ban voice calls on flights

Bloomberg

The US Transportation Department proposed requiring airlines to tell consumers if passengers can use mobile phones for calls during their flight, and said it’s considering banning voice calls, rekindling a years-long debate centered
on jabbering seatmates in close-quarter cabins.
“Consumers deserve to have clear and accurate information about whether an airline permits voice calls before they purchase a ticket and board the aircraft,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in an e-mailed news release. “Today’s proposal will ensure that air travelers are not unwillingly exposed to voice calls, as many of them are troubled over the idea of passengers talking on cell phones in flight.”
The department also is seeking comment in coming months on whether it should simply ban voice calls on flights within, to, or from the U.S., the news release said.
Airlines oppose the proposal, and flight attendants who would referee disputes over noisy phone use support it.

Flight Attendants
“The American public does not want voice communication in flight,” Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), said in an e-mailed statement. “Anything short of banning voice calls is reckless. It threatens aviation security and increases the likelihood of conflict in the skies.” Vaughn Jennings, a spokesman for the Washington-based airlines trade group Airlines for America, said calls aren’t properly a matter for federal regulators.
“We believe airlines should be able to determine what services can be safely offered in flight and make those decisions based on what is in the best interests of their passengers and crew members,” Jennings said in an e-mail.
Passengers have told the agency that voice calls in the confined space of an aircraft cabin are disturbing, the department said.