Apple’s iPad has been cleared for use by American Airlines pilots during takeoff and landing in a move that could make bulky flight bags crammed with manuals and charts a thing of the past. American Airlines began testing iPads as “electronic flight bags” last year and a number of other carriers, including United Airlines and Alaska Airlines, have followed suit. But pilots were barred from using the touchscreen tablet computers during “critical phases of flight” – operations below 10,000 feet (3,048 metres) – pending further evaluation.
Les Dorr, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman, said American Airlines received authorisation from the FAA on December 1 to use the iPad in the cockpit during all phases of flight, including takeoff and landing. “American Airlines is the first major air carrier to get approval for operational use of the iPad as an electronic flight bag,” Dorr told AFP, adding that the authorization followed an evaluation period of around six months.
