London - Passenger jets are one of the last places on earth where you can’t use your mobile phone. But no more.
You will soon be able to leave your mobiles and tablets switched on during flights after the European flight safety regulator said that they did not pose a risk.
Until now, passengers had to switch their devices to airplane mode during take-off and landing, leaving them unable to make calls or send texts and data.
It was thought that signals from the phones would interfere with navigational and communications equipment on the plane, potentially endangering passengers and crew.
But passengers in European air space are to be allowed to use their phones at all times without having to put them in airplane mode – although at the moment there is no network signal at high altitudes.
The change of heart removes the last regulatory hurdle preventing airline passengers in Europe from calling or using wifi during flights or while taxiing.
But there could be a delay in implementing the new rules. Airlines will first have to conduct their own reviews to ensure their planes are not affected by transmission signals, and will also need to equip aircraft with network connectors to make it possible to get online in flight.
They will also be free to make their own rules for phone use. For example, many are likely to ban phone calls, which are seen as anti-social in a confined space such as the cabin of a passenger jet.
Ilias Maragakis, of the European Aviation Safety Agency in Cologne, said the plans were a step beyond what is allowed in the US, which does not allow calls on planes.
He added: “We’re basically opening the door where, in theory, you’ll be able to continue making your phone call through the gate throughout the flight, like you would on a train.”
British Airways already lets business-class passengers from London to New York to use wifi and send texts, and it is starting to relax the regulations on other flights as well. - Daily Mail