iPads will be allowed on all American Airlines flights for the first time on Friday, following approval by US flights watchdog the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Testing of the device in the cockpits of all American Airlines planes was completed last week.
Use of the iPads will be restricted to the two pilots aboard the flight, with all network connections switched off. Passengers will still be prohibited from using electrical equipment during take off and landing.
A spokesman for the FAA said: “This involves a significantly different scenario for potential interference than unlimited passenger use, which could involve dozens or even hundreds of devices at the same time.”
American Airlines becomes the third major air carrier to switch to the Apple tablet. The airline is also installing 6,000 customised Samsung Galaxy Tabs on its planes for customers.
United Airlines switched to paperless flying in August, giving its pilots 11,000 iPads kitted out with navigational app Mobile FliteDeck. The airline claimed it would save them 326,000 gallons in fuel due to the lightened load.
Alaska Airways switched to iPad navigation in May.
"With iPad, pilots are able to quickly and efficiently access reference material without having to thumb through thousands of sheets of paper and reduce clutter on the flight deck," the company said.
