Emirates, the airline based in Dubai, has become the first to allow the use of mobile phones for making calls and sending texts during flights. So farit’s only been done on a flight between Dubai and Casablanca, on an Airbus A340 that had been fitted with special equipment to prevent the calls affecting electronic flight systems, but it willbe expanded to other planes and routes, the BBC reports. Later this year the company will be able to accommodate BlackBerrys and other smart phones. The system will only be allowed once theplane reaches cruising altitude, and can be monitored and controlled by the cabin crew, who will prevent voice calls during night flights, when they might disturb other passengers. Nor will there bethe chirping of ringtones, as passengers will be asked to keep their phones on silent. The airline, which flies to some 60 countries, has introduced the service because of passenger demand.The system, developed by Aeromobile, has the approval of the international air safety groups. AeroMobile Chief Executive Bjorn-Taale Sandberg said, "We have gone to considerable lengths to ensure that all safety and regulatory issues have been fully addressed."
Tag Archive: airline
Emirates Allows In-Flight Mobile Calls
In-Flight Internet About To Take Off
The much-anticipated service will let airline customers surf the Web, check e-mail and even trade files with earthbound friends, all at speeds comparable to a home broadband connection.
If all goes as planned, the system will not only be a boon to frequent flyers who can’t afford to be disconnected, but could also lead to an intense battle among airlines for the hearts, and dollars, of high-flying Internet users.
Read the full story at Wired News.
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