FAA bans use of personal electronic devices in cockpits

The Federal Aviation Administration has banned pilots from using laptops, cellphones or other electronic devices for personal reasons while on duty in the cockpit. The new rules, which come into force in two months, fit with legacy FAA rules that requiring a “sterile cockpit” in which personal discussions and other distractions are banned below certain altitudes. The FAA said the rule “codifies existing FAA policies and procedures” applying to both cargo and passenger carriers.