JetBlue Becomes the First U.S. Airline to Implement Personal Electronic Device Use Gate-to-Gate

NEW YORK, Nov. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- JetBlue Airways JBLU received approval for gate-to-gate personal electronic device (PED) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at 4:15 p.m. ET yesterday, November 1, and implemented the policy immediately. The very first commercial flight of any U.S. airline to allow gate-to-gate PED use was JetBlue's Flight 2302 from New York's JFK to Buffalo, scheduled departure time 4:30 p.m. All JetBlue customers were immediately allowed to start using personal electronic devices (PEDs) during all phases of flight, on all flights.

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"I'd like to thank the FAA and especially Administrator Michael Huerta for their adoption of the committee's recommendations and for moving very quickly to allow us to make this enhancement available to all JetBlue customers starting today," said JetBlue President and CEO Dave Barger. 

"We have worked very closely with the FAA to achieve this new policy, which will be a significant improvement in customers' onboard experience," said Robin Hayes, JetBlue chief commercial officer. "JetBlue now allows all customers gate-to-gate use of personal electronic devices, which means customers can now use their devices at any time during their time onboard."

Prior to the new policy, customers had to turn off and stow all electronic devices during taxi, takeoff, landing and when the aircraft was below 10,000 feet. The new policy allows JetBlue customers to use smart phones, tablets, games and other smaller electronic devices at any time during taxi, takeoff and during flight, unless otherwise instructed by a crewmember. Laptops must be stowed for taxi, takeoff and landing.

About JetBlue Airways
As New York's Hometown Airline™ and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale/ Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando and San Juan, JetBlue carries approximately 30 million customers a year to 79 cities in the US, Caribbean and Latin America with more than 750 daily flights. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. JetBlue's fleet totals 191 aircraft, comprising 130 Airbus A320s, 1 Airbus A321 and 60 EMBRAER 190s. Upcoming destinations include Detroit, Mich., Savannah, Ga., and Worcester, Mass. as well as Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; and Lima, Peru, subject to receipt of government approval. For more information please visit JetBlue.com.

SOURCE JetBlue Airways