Phones on planes
EU FLIGHTS ALLOWING PHONESThe European commission have decided to allow the use of mobile phones on planes throughout the EU. The service will be available to 90% of Europe's air passengers. This decision follows on from announcements by communications watchdog Ofcom, who cleared the use of mobile phones on aircraft. The regulations state that phones can only be used when a plane reaches 3,000 metres or 10,000 feet and not on take-off or landing. The captain will also be able to demand they are switched off during turbulence or technical problems. The European Commission assures that airlines will create the right ‘conditions’ on board a flight to ensure that those using phones will not disturb other passengers. It has been suggested that airlines will create ‘quiet’ zones, similar to those on trains, where passengers must operate on silent mode in consideration of fellow travellers, or be limited to texts and emails only. |
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| The use of phones during flight does raise fears of ‘air-rage’ incidents however, with the prospect of hundreds of passengers in such close proximity of each other, embarking on lengthily conversations or business arrangements mid-flight.
The European Aviation Safety Agency must approve any on-board technology that will be installed in particular aircraft models, and The Civil Aviation Authority needs to agree on both how it is used and what training airplane crews require. The European Commission have also warned that they would closely monitor the prices charged by operators, at the risk of sky-high prices adding to already expensive rates for overseas calls. If bills are too high the service will not be popular, so they are waiting to see what the mobile phone industry will offer. Airlines already eager to introduce mobile communication on board include; Air France-KLM, Ryanair, Portugal's TAP and BMI. |
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