A recent decision by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to allow small knives on passenger planes is drawing opposition from flight attendants, airlines and politicians as well as the families of victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Airline passengers could get to use their cell phones and other portable electronic devices (PEDs) more while in flight, depending upon the results of a task force study on the issue. Government and industry experts including representatives from the mobile technology and aviation manufacturing industries, pilot and flight attendant groups, and airlines, held their first meeting last week to study PED use.

A pilot who was fired after blowing the whistle on pilot certification fraud was ordered reinstated by OSHA. The whistleblower, a pilot from Illinois, alleges that he was asked to falsify a pilot certification for a training flight he performed with another pilot.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is encouraging travelers to take an active role in aviation safety when they fly this holiday season. Travelers can make their flight even safer by taking a few minutes to follow these guidelines: