The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) rehashes the recent report that cellphones cause interference to aircraft navigation instruments. (previously discussed here and here)

The real nugget in the article, though, is this:

Do travelers really want to gab inflight? Of 8,000 comments to the FCC when it proposed dropping its ban, only two or three were in favor. The rest, except for the 50 or so technical reports, were from travelers vociferously opposed, arguing that airplanes should be a refuge from calls and emails. Flight attendant unions are also opposed, fearing obnoxious phone habits could lead to air-rage incidents.

That’s quite a supermajority opposed to cellphones inflight. Count me in, unless the loud talkers are relegated to a private area in the back of the plane.

The opposition to e-mail doesn’t make as much sense to me — if planes are equipped with internet access, passengers will have the choice to read/write e-mail, or not. It’s not really any different than typing a manuscript on your laptop, and is hardly intrusive on your neighbors. Phone conversations are a different matter entirely.