Mobile Phones Flying High

Published: 12/07/07

Travellers with BMI who cannot bear to be out of contact can breath a sigh of relief upon hearing the news that they may soon be able to use their mobile phones during flights.

A system called OnAir has been certified as safe to use on the A320 Airbus, giving BMI the opportunity to test the system in the next few months, with a successful trial leading to full implementation. As well as mobiles the system also offers support for the BlackBerry handheld devices that busy executives feel they cannot do without, accessing their email on the go.

The trial will include not only the technical aspects of the service but also how it impacts on passengers, especially those not using their phones. It may transpire that, although technically feasible, the imposition on other travellers makes it unacceptable to the majority. There is an expectation that the shorter European routes to major business centres, especially flights to Dusseldorf, Munich and Eindhoven could see a much greater acceptance of the technology, since there is a greater percentage of business travellers on these flights.

Author: bmiflights@yahoo.co.uk