Airport boosting outlets for power-hungry passengers

Airports increasing the number of outlets it offers for increasingly power-hungry airline passengers, USA Today reports.

Airport officials told the paper that they are creating power charging stations to avoid passengers taking matters into their own hands.

“We’ve noticed people sitting on the floor next to an outlet, moving airport seating to be closer to an outlet, or even unplugging things like an ATM to get electricity,” Alabama’s Huntsville International Airport (HSV) spokeswoman Chantel Minish said.

“Not only can these actions create trip hazards by stretching power cords across walkways, it just isn’t the type of environment we want to set for our customers,” Minish continued.

{mosads}The moves come as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is clearing the way for airlines to allow passengers to keep their electronic devices on during the entire lengths of flights.

Prior to the FAA announcements, passengers were forced to turn their electronics off when airlines were below 10,000 feet. That meant take-offs and landings were gadget-free times.

The FAA has cleared Delta, JetBlue, United, US Airways and American Airlines for expanded electronic use. The agency has said it expects all airlines to allow passengers to keep their electronics on by the end of the year.