Well now it appears that since American Airlines let it be known that they intend to let their pilots make use of Apple’s iOS tablet rather than lug about flight bags, the word is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has now decided to expand the use of the Apple iPad due to the slate having lower cost and improved efficiency, although the FAA does not allow the iOS slate to access FAA networks.

Further to that expansion of the Apple iPad, according to the guys over at Ubergizmo, by way of aviation website Avweb, the FAA are also planning on their very own App Store that will deliver aviation specific apps to their Apple iPad using employees.

Apparently there are approximately eleven hundred FAA employees that use the iOS tablet for sending documents, emails, and such, and apparently by 2014 the FAA will give their workers the option to switch their laptops for Apple iPads, and also are hoping to expand iPad adoption to trainers and students at some point in the near future.

Back in July the FAA gave their approval of the iPad use by employees and the approval meant the iPad could replace the 40-pound manuals.

However, if you think that passenger will now be allowed to use their Apple iPad when taking off and landing, that is still currently out of the question, but the word is according to the guys that the current scenarios the FAA is looking at, could mean a relaxation to the rules at some point in the future.