Bipartisan bill directs Department of Transportation to finalize long-delayed in-flight ban sought by business travelers.

GBTA welcomed the introduction of the Quiet Skies Act by Representative Hillary Scholten (D-MI) Representative Rick Crawford (R-AR), Greg Stanton (D-AZ) and Rob Bresnahan (R-PA), legislation that directs the Department of Transportation to finally issue the rule banning in-flight voice calls that Congress required nearly eight years ago.

The bill responds to a problem GBTA members have raised with growing urgency. New satellite connectivity from Starlink and similar networks has erased the bandwidth limits that once kept calls off planes, and more than 36 major airlines have now committed to the technology.

In April 2026, British Airways became the first major Western carrier to permit voice and video calls on equipped flights, expanding the policy fleetwide weeks later, including on transatlantic service to the United States. Qatar Airways and Emirates already allow calls. Without federal action, U.S. carriers face mounting commercial pressure to follow.

Congress already settled the policy question. The Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018 directed the Department of Transportation (DOT) to prohibit voice communications on scheduled passenger flights, with exemptions for on-duty crew and federal law enforcement. The bill passed the House 398 to 23 and the Senate 93 to 6. The Quiet Skies Act is simple; it gives DOT 180 days to issue the final rule Congress already mandated.

“Our members manage travel for millions of employees, and they have been clear with us that the cabin should remain a place to work, rest and think, and not become a group phone booth for dozens of simultaneous private conversations at 35,000 feet,” said Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA.

“We heard that feedback, brought it to Washington and are grateful to Representative Scholten, Crawford, Stanton and Bresnahan for turning it into action. Congress directed this ban in 2018 with overwhelming bipartisan support. The Quiet Skies Act simply tells the Department of Transportation to finish the job before a quiet cabin becomes a thing of the past.”

GBTA most recently raised the issue directly with members and congressional offices during its annual U.S. Legislative Summit last month and worked with Representative Scholten’s office as the bill took shape. The Association will continue to build bipartisan support as the bill advances.