China Eases Rules on In-Flight Electronics Usage

This post comes courtesy of our content partners at TechNode.

Passengers may soon expect less boring trips when they are traveling by air in China. In the latest revision to its aviation regulations, China’s aviation authority is easing the rules on using electronics during flights, paving the way for wider in-flight connectivity, our sister site TechNode Chinese is reporting. The new rules will come into effect in October this year.

The new revision has lifted a decade-long complete ban on in-flight portable electronics, giving individual airlines the right to determine management policies for devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops. In addition, the regulator also issued a corresponding assessment and approval process through which airlines can apply to offer this service.

Apart from the mobile devices mentioned above, existing rules also ban passengers from using intercoms, remote-control toys, and other devices with remote-control or radio transmitting equipment.

The move comes amid relaxing aviation policies toward portable electronics around the world. Aviation regulatory bodies in the US and EU began pioneering this initiative as early as 2013. As an initial step, the new regulation will boost the development of in-flight Wi-Fi services among Chinese airlines, local media reports, citing a spokesman from Shanghai-based Spring Airlines.

The news constitutes a dream come true for millions of flyers in China, the world’s second-largest air-travel market. Data from China’s National Statistics Bureau show that over 490 million passengers traveled by air in China last year, while over 9.23 million flights were made by Chinese airlines.

Photo: Vix