House Takes Step Toward Ban on In-Flight Calls

WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of Congress, some of the nation's most frequent flyers, don't want to allow airline passengers to make cellphone calls in-flight and they're doing something about it.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has approved, without opposition, a bill to ban such calls.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers say they believe in-flight calls would be disturbing to other passengers and possibly disruptive.

The bill is a response to moves late last year by the Federal Communications Commission to remove the long-standing prohibition on in-flight calls.

Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., the committee's chairman and sponsor of the bill, emphasized that he doesn't fly between Washington and his district, but he is "looking out" for his congressional colleagues.