Skip to main content

Emirates lets passengers use cell phones during flights

plane passengers PEDsThere’s been a lot of talk lately about airlines finally giving the green light to passengers wishing to talk on their cell phones up in the air, though whether the majority of flyers are actually in favor of such a move isn’t certain. Being stuck beside someone on a long-haul flight jabbering away into the mouthpiece of their cell phone – as well into your ear – might, after all, be enough to make you want to go for a wing walk to escape the noise.

How passengers really feel, though, may be immaterial as it seems inevitable that a future of planes filled with cell phone owners bellowing into their handsets “I’m on the plane” is just around the corner.

Dubai-based carrier Emirates is leading the charge, allowing passengers on its double-decker A380 jets to use their phones to make calls from this week. The first call was reportedly made 11,500 meters (38,000 feet) up, to a location in China. The nature of the call isn’t known, though if it’s anything like the ones you hear on trains and buses, it won’t have been anything too important.

As an AllThingsD report on the development points out, Emirates is no slacker when it comes to offering passengers options regarding in-flight tech services. In the 1990s, on-board phones and fax machines were installed in its Airbus aircraft, while email and text messaging via in-seat facilities has been offered since 2006.

‘Pushing the boundaries’

In a statement about Emirates’ new service, the airline’s vice president, Patrick Brannelly, said, “Beginning in 1993 with first passenger satellite phone service to last year with our A380 Wi-Fi system, Emirates has always taken the approach that providing the latest in in-flight service and connectivity is a key part of our passengers’ journey”

He added, “Emirates continues to invest in the most innovative technology possible and promises to keep pushing the boundaries of in-flight innovation for the benefit of our passengers.”

Flyers in the US, or those traveling to and from the country, may or may not be pleased to know that a long-standing safety-related ban on the use of cell phones in aircraft imposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) means the service will be blocked when the plane is flying over the US or within 250 miles of the country.

It was reported in August that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is planning to take another look at the restrictions placed on the use of personal electronic devices (PEDs) on planes in the US, though cell phones will not be included in the review.

[Image: Dimitriy Shironosov / Shutterstock]

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
How to use your iPhone’s Sound Recognition feature
how to use your iphones sound recognition feature feat image

If your iPhone can run iOS 14 or later, you can set up the Sound Recognition feature, which alerts you to critical sounds — like a smoke alarm, doorbell, or crying baby. Even if you didn't hear the noise, you can still keep track of what's going on around you. Sound Recognition is an accessibility feature designed for people with hearing impairments, but it's also quite useful for those in noisy environments or on video chats where critical sounds can blend into the background or go unnoticed.

Read more
The best student cell phone plans and deals in 2023
Visible wireless logo on phone that's being held up.

Wireless plans are notoriously expensive, and that's even without including the average cost for a new phone. It means that if you're on a tight budget, like most students and budding professionals entering the workforce who don't have a lot of extra money to play with, you're probably going to have a tough time choosing a provider. Tack on all of those extra taxes, fees, and potential overage charges, and there's a good chance you might empty your wallet before you even have a chance to get started. And let's be honest -- if you want one of the best phones for 2022, you're going to be paying quite a bit for that too. The good news is, if you know where to look, you can find a relatively inexpensive and budget-friendly phone plan, some made specifically for students. Don't forget, there are a ton of great offers available, so you can nab one of the best phone deals too, especially if you want to bring your own phone to the table.

To make sure you're looking in the right places, and to help you save some of that much-needed money, we've assembled the best student cell phone plans available for the year, as well as some excellent deals and offers. Keep reading to see what those are!

Read more
iOS 16 lets you pair Nintendo Switch controllers to your iPhone
Two players play Nintendo Switch.

Apple forgot to mention one important detail about iOS 16 at its annual WWDC conference yesterday: iPhone users will be able to play games with their Nintendo Switch Pro and Joy-Con controllers.

iOS 16 won't be released to everyone's iPhones until fall, but it is currently out as a developer preview, giving devs ample opportunities to test out and discover some of the new operating system's quirks and exploits. Riley Testut, the developer behind the Delta emulator and AltStore, shared his discovery of iOS 16 natively supporting the Nintendo Switch Pro and Joy-Con controllers, although they show up as a single device. He reported that "they work perfectly with Delta," which emulates games from SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance.

Read more