Tell the DOT: No Calls on Planes
(Washington, D.C.) - Tell the Department of Transportation (DOT): No Calls on Planes! In December, the DOT announced a proposed rule that would allow voice calls inflight. The deadline is February 13. In December, the DOT announced a proposed rule that would allow voice calls inflight. The deadline is February 13.
“The American public does not want voice communication in flight. Anything short of banning voice calls is reckless. It threatens aviation security and increases the likelihood of conflict in the skies. It threatens safety for crews and passengers. AFA will continue to press for a complete ban of inflight voice calls. No calls on planes. Period," said AFA International President Sara Nelson.
Submit a personal comment based on your experience as a Flight Attendant. Public comments close on Monday, February 13, 2017. Make sure your voice is heard. Go to NoCallsonPlanes.org now to access the electronic form to leave your comment with the DOT >
Voice calls on planes threaten aviation security and safety. No voice calls on planes:
- No one wants this. In past comment periods, 96% of responses called for a ban on inflight voice calls. The vast majority of the public, travelers associations, and unions reject inflight voice calls as injecting an unwanted, unneeded "service" into an already crowded, stress-filled cabin environment.
- Confusion and conflict. Flight Attendants hear all the time from passengers that they were permitted to do something on a previous flight that they are now prevented from doing. Allowing airlines to choose whether and how to permit voice calls will create wide disparities and confusion from airline to airline. This creates confusion at best and hostility or disruptive behavior at worst.
- Undermines aviation security. As greater numbers of cabin occupants make onboard voice calls, terrorists will take advantage of the looser environment to blend in, effectively eliminating the cabin crew's ability to identify an attack that is being planned or in progress. Banning voice calling now will preserve this essential element of cabin crew situational awareness.
- No options. Any travelers who reject the concept of inflight voice calls due to consolidation will lack any meaningful choice of airline to fly. In fact, their only choice may be to not fly at all, which will cause economic harm to the industry and AFA members. Travelers unaware of the policy on a particular carrier may complain about voice calls being made during their flights, but these complaints will be ignored much as complaints about lack of legroom are ignored today.
Bottom Line: Ban voice calls now! Go to NoCallsonPlanes.org now to leave your comment with the DOT >
