Dubai-based airline Emirates has become the
first commercial airline to allow passengers to make mobile phone calls
during flights.
Emirates said the first permitted mobile phone call was made on a flight between Dubai and Casablanca.
The aircraft, an Airbus A340, is fitted with a system which stops mobiles from interfering with a plane's electronics.
Emirates plans to extend the system to more aircraft and later this year add BlackBerry and other data services.
According to the airline, the mobile service will only be activated
when the aircraft is at cruising altitude and the cabin crew will be
able to monitor and control the use of the system.
Passengers will be able to receive and send text messages, but
the crew will be able to prevent voice calls at certain times, such as
during night flights.
Passengers will also be requested to keep their phones on "silent" mode, said the airline.
High demand
Emirates said it decided to introduce the use of mobile phones
in its fleet after experiencing high demand for the phones already
installed in aircraft seats.
The airline had to obtain approval from international air
safety organisations before adopting the system, which was developed by
the AeroMobile company.
"We have gone to considerable lengths to ensure that all safety and
regulatory issues have been fully addressed", said AeroMobile Chief
Executive Bjorn-Taale Sandberg.
Emirates flies to more than 60 countries and is owned by the government of Dubai.
Source:BBC
