The US FAA has issued an alert to commercial airlines and others warning that the portable credit card readers being used by carriers for passenger purchases must be vetted for safety.
"A recent inquiry into the use of portable electronic credit card readers has revealed that some operators may be using these PEDs aboard US-registered aircraft without having appropriately and adequately determined their potential for interfering with communication and navigation equipment," the FAA states in an information for operators dated 23 September.
In addition to having the airline verify that the devices will not interfere with aircraft avionics based on previously published advisory materials, the FAA says card readers using lithium batteries "must have the associated risk of the hazmat being carried aboard aircraft" reviewed by the FAA's office of Hazardous Materials in coordination with the carrier's principle avionics inspector.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
