The Federal Aviation Administration approved the use of iPads in the cockpit in a test project -- which could mean it's paving the way for iPad use in commercial airlines. Delta Air Lines is already seeking approval to use iPads as early as next quarter.
The iPad is being used to display navigational charts for some pilots on charter planes -- which could mean the end of traditional paper maps in the cockpit, according to Bloomberg News. While the test project is only approved for Executive Jet Management, commercial airlines, like Delta are already anticipating changes.
Currently, each commercial jet has a flight bag carrying an 18-pound computer which provides digital maps and other flight information. An iPad, on the other hands, weighs a little more than a pound.
If the FAA approves the iPad in commercial flights, Apple's enterprise market will explode. Unlike other office devices, Apple's iPad could become the tool of the highly technical -- hospitals, airlines and anywhere vast inventory needs to be accessed remotely in a lightweight case.
