The Federal Aviation Administration has reportedly approved the practice of replacing traditional paper flight charts with iPads, and American Airlines is set to become the first major commercial airline to use the iPad in flight, according to a report from ZDNet.

In June, the FAA allowed American Airlines to begin testing the iPad running an app that gives pilots the critical information they need during all phases of flight. It was the first time the FAA allowed an exception to its regulation prohibiting "class 1" electronic devices from being operated during takeoff and landing.

The Allied Pilots Association and American Airlines collaborated with navigation and planning company Jeppesen to create the iPad Electronic Flight Bag (EFB). The app, called FliteDeck Pro Enroute, is the only FAA-approved digital replacement, Jeppesen said. It's not clear whether American Airlines will use that program as its official EFB.

Pilots will use the iPad in place of existing 40-pound paper charts and manuals, which American Airlines estimates could save an estimated $1.2 million in fuel costs. 

Since testing began in June, American Airline pilots have flown thousands of hours with iPads in every stage of flight to evaluate the viability of the device as a flight tool.