In a welcome change for airline passengers, Europe has finally given its assent to allow smartphones and tablet computers to remain switched on throughout the entire duration of flights.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) announced that airline passengers will be able to use their gadgets on board. This contradicts the previous custom, which required passengers to enable the ‘airplane’-mode in their devices so as to stop the emission of radio signals that might interfere with the smooth-running of aircrafts by hampering the avionics equipment in the cockpit despite not a single plane crash being attributed to interference from passengers’ electronics ever.
EASA spokesman Ilias Maragakis told The Associated Press that, “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.” The EASA has, however, said that it may take above 8 months for the decision to be implemented.
The European Commission has now approved the usage of mobile spectrum for 3G and 4G communications, thus letting users surf the web and send e-mails, but only when the aircraft has scaled the height of 3,000 metres. Previously, in the name of communication only voice calls were permitted after the flight had reached an altitude of 3,000 metres.
In its statement, EASA said that “The new guidance allows airlines to permit personal electronic devices to stay switched on, without the need to be in airplane mode. This is the latest regulatory step towards enabling the ability to offer ‘gate-to-gate’ telecommunication or Wi-Fi services.” The publication of EASA’s decision has set speculations rolling on whether wireless communication services by airlines might be on offer next.
