JetBlue Shows First Moments of FAA-Approved Gadget Use on Flights

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By Adario Strange2013-11-02 21:05:43 UTC

After the Federal Aviation Administration announced Thursday that it would begin easing restrictions on passengers' use of electronic devices during flights, JetBlue captured the new policy in a video.

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Deploying a team of two videographers, the airline created the video, below, which shows its first moments of in-flight gadget use.

“The video was created so we could give a behind-the-scenes look,” Jenny Dervin, a JetBlue spokesperson, told Mashable. “We just wanted to show how we were able to implement the policy immediately.”

Featuring real passengers flying from New York City to Buffalo, N.Y., the video shows them holding their electronic devices, newly freed from previous in-flight usage restrictions.

“At 4:15 p.m. ET on Friday, we got approval from the FAA, and we sent the word out in a message to each aircraft.," Dervin added.

JetBlue sent its staff message (seen in the above photo) to aircraft via the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, or ACARS, a digital short-messaging system used by ground crews to contact planes.

Competitor Delta also announced its adoption of the FAA's new policy on Friday in a message posted to Twitter.

In a statement released Thursday, FAA administrator Michael Huerta said, “I commend the dedication and excellent work of all the experts who spent the past year working together to give us a solid report, so we can now move forward with a safety-based decision on when passengers can use PEDs [Portable Electronic Devices] on airplanes.”

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Image: JetBlue

Topics: Airlines, delta, Electronic Devices, faa, Gadgets, jetblue, Mobile, Tech, Travel & Leisure, U.S.