Europe approves cellphone use on selected planes

Last Updated: Wednesday, June 20, 2007 | 7:13 PM ET

CBC News

One of the last cellphone-free zones is about to disappear as European regulators approve mobile phones and PDAs on some planes.

Airbus has announced that the European Aviation Safety Agency will allow passengers on Airbus A318 planes equipped with a system known as OnAir to make calls and send messages while airborne.

Until now concerns about calls interfering with on-board electronics have restricted the use of the devices.

Under the new rules cabin crew will be able to turn off or limit the system.

The Airbus service will first be available on single-aisle planes for short-haul flights in western Europe, once an airworthiness certification has been granted.

The service has already been tested by a couple of European airlines.

"This certification is Airbus's first response to the growing market demand for on-board connectivity," Rainer von Borstel, an Airbus senior vice-president, said in a statement.

"It paves the way for the subsequent worldwide deployment of cellphone services and internet based services across all Airbus aircraft types," he added.

Air France leads the way

The service will be launched on Air France aircraft, followed by BMI and Portugal's TAP airline. Each airline will test the system on one plane before expanding it to more aircraft. Ryanair is expected to be the first fleet to use OnAir's service, according to an OnAir news release.

OnAir spokesman Graham Lake told the International Herald Tribune that although OnAir doesn't set the fees, the expected cost would be around $2.50 a minute for calls and 50 cents per SMS text message.

"Instead of roaming in a country, you are effectively roaming in the sky," Lake said. "We send your call via satellite down to the GSM network."

Call charges will appear on customer phone bills in the same way as international roaming, with revenue shared among the airlines, OnAir and the customer's own phone company.