Answer: Making loud calls on airplanes
Clues: “Flight” and “Device”
Congress is trying to pass a bipartisan bill that would ban all phone and video calls on airplanes. Most U.S. carriers don’t allow in-flight calls already, but there’s pressure to change that now that Wi-Fi on planes is expanding.
There are also several foreign airlines that are cool with Wi-Fi calls, including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. They could be impacted, at least in U.S. airspace, if the ban goes through.
Why is the government involved? It’s a safety issue, and officials want to minimize disruptions and distractions.
Congress actually voted in 2018 to require the FAA to ban phone calls, but it was never implemented. This bill would put a ban in place within six months.
The thinking is to cut it off before it’s something that happens more frequently or airlines decide that it’s something they could charge more for.
It would be a lot harder for flight attendants to enforce a ban if loud, annoying phone or video calls are permitted for a time and then stopped, rather than if it was never okay in the first place.