Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, the ranking member of the House Aviation Subcommittee, issued the following statement today after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it will allow airlines to extend passenger use of electronic devices on planes. Passengers will be able to use devices through the flight experience from gate-to-gate if airlines can show their use will not interfere with safety.

“There’s nothing more important in flight than the safety of passengers and crew,” Larsen said. “I appreciate the FAA’s unwavering commitment to putting safety first when evaluating this proposal. As fliers take advantage of this new policy, they need to still pay full attention to safety videos and listen to crewmember instructions at all times. I fully expect the FAA will continue to put safety first as they assess individual airline personal electronics policies.”