Interesting timing of FAA’s request for 1300 Boeing aircraft to replace displays

Only days after 77 members of the US House of Representatives pushed for the total ban on all forms of phone calls being made from airplanes, the FAA have decided to demand that cockpit displays in over 1300 Boeing aircraft be replaced over the next five years. The reason why these particular aircraft have been targeted is because of an apparent susceptibility of the Honeywell display to blanking out when it meets with Wi-Fi interference, despite claims by Honeywell to the contrary. The FAA have indicated that the actual cost of the parts to take the place of existing displays is $10,200 per plane, and that the work can be done within a three hour window.
However it is not the overall cost – US$13.75m for the 737s and 777s – that is of the greatest concern to many, it is more the question of whether cell and smartphone calls are going to be allowed on flights. A precarious situation is looming where for safety reasons the FAA are able to enforce these display changes, yet the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) hold the power to allow or disallow passenger use of Wi-Fi technology on board planes, and the Department of Transportation can and may well ban the use of cell and smartphone use for all calls. It is hard to believe that the FAA would demand an expenditure of US$13.75m that would automatically be irrelevant if the FCC were to ban the use of Wi-Fi technology on planes. Reading between the lines it would seem that Wi-Fi access will be made available for internet access for smartphones, tablets and laptops, but not for phone calls.