"It's about time," Carpenter wrote in a blog post responding to the FAA's announcement.

"It strikes me as silly that I can read a book at take-off, but if the book has been downloaded to an e-reader or tablet, then I have to wait until we've reached 10,000 feet or some arbitrary cut-off determined by the government or the airlines," Carpenter said. "Reading is reading and it shouldn't make a difference whether I bought a book or newspaper at Hudson News or downloaded the same content while waiting to board my flight."

Carpenter brushed off the purported safety concerns, citing reports that many commercial pilots now use tablets in the cockpit, while pointing out that other countries have relaxed their policies on personal electronic devices, including cell phones.

The Transportation Department said that the working group will convene this fall, with plans to dissolve after six months after it presents its recommendations to the FAA. The group will be comprised of representatives from the mobile and aircraft-manufacturing industries, as well as delegates from groups representing pilots and flight attendants, airlines and passenger associations.

The FAA is publishing a to evaluate the current policies concerning electronic devices in the Federal Register on Tuesday.