LONDON -- Most passengers flying within Europe will still be told to turn off their cell phones when boarding an aircraft, despite a ruling from the European Commission last month that paves the way for mobile devices to be used in midair.
After years of debate about whether cell phones on flights are safe, EU Telecommunications Commissioner Viviane Reding last month gave airlines the go-ahead to allow passengers to chat and send e-mail and text messages from shortly after takeoff until just prior to landing.
New rules to harmonize the technical requirements for the safe in-flight use of cell phones have been introduced, which must be adopted by all 27 EU member states within the next six months.
But only a handful of airlines have announced plans to offer cell services, and some have said they will continue to ban usage indefinitely, despite the additional revenue passenger roaming charges could generate for carriers.
To prevent cell phones from interfering with the flight deck or navigation systems, airlines must install on aircraft a small cell phone base station, known as a pico cell, which will route calls to a terrestrial network via a satellite link.
So far, OnAir, one of only two providers of in-flight telecommunications equipment, has signed up just four European airlines. Rival AeroMobile has not yet attracted a single customer from the EU, though it recently launched its cell phone service on Emirates' flights from Dubai to Frankfurt, and it is working with Turkish Airlines and Qantas.
Only low-cost carrier Ryanair has promised to allow calls on all its aircraft, all of the time, within Europe. Air France, TAP Air Portugal and U.K. carrier BMI, all of which are OnAir customers, are taking a more cautious approach, running single-aircraft trials to gauge customer reaction before rolling out the service.
'Monitoring developments'
Major carriers, including British Airways, EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic, have adopted a wait-and-see attitude, mindful that while many passengers might want to make calls and send texts and e-mail in flight, others would no doubt find such use intrusive.
A BA spokeswoman said the airline was looking at the technology, but added, "We would need to balance the convenience for those who do wish to make calls against those who want to be left in peace and quiet."
A Virgin spokeswoman said: "We are obviously monitoring developments in this area, but passengers tell us that they are not interested in making voice calls and this is something they do not want."
Lufthansa said it had no immediate plans to offer in-flight cell-phone usage after its own survey revealed that passengers did not want the service.
The International Airline Passengers Association, or IAPA, which represents frequent flyers, reported that almost 70% of British members who responded to an October 2007 survey said they didn't want cell phones on flights. "Our survey results illustrate the deep sense of disquiet about the possible introduction of cell phones on aircraft," IAPA spokesman Jonathan French said. "Before airlines jump into this, they should take note of their customers' concerns and ensure that steps are taken to allow for these."
Cabin crew's discretion
On aircraft that do offer cell service, cabin crew would be able to switch off the transmitter during takeoffs and landings and at any time during the flight; an airline could also choose to restrict the service to data calls only or to request that passengers leave their cell phones in silent mode.
A spokesman for BMI, which will start a six-month trial of in-flight cell phone services in June on flights between London Heathrow and Moscow, said it was possible that the service would eventually be limited to text, e-mail and MMS (multimedia messaging service) messaging.
"The whole point of the trial is to get feedback from customers, and it's too early to say what they want, but it is possible we will offer only data calls," he said.
Another reason airlines might be delaying investing in this technology is that at the moment, it offers only a limited service. Charles Pryor, an OnAir spokesman, admitted that his company's equipment could handle only 12 simultaneous calls, which might cause frustration to passengers and would limit airlines' revenue potential. "This is something that can be increased in the future," Pryor said.
Ryanair, a low-fare carrier that makes a chunk of its $625 million annual profit from selling passengers extras ranging from snacks to scratch cards, is clearly banking on adding cell phone charges to its revenue mix. A spokesman said 20 aircraft would be fitted with the technology by June and that the rest of its fleet would follow. "We will be encouraging passengers to talk to their hearts' content and charging rates in line with international roaming rates."
Commissioner Reding has warned airlines and operators, who will share the revenue, to keep the cost of calls made on planes reasonable. "If consumers receive shock bills, the service will not take off," she said.
Charges are expected to be in line with premium international roaming charges, i.e., the cost of making a call from a cell phone in a foreign country, which can be as high as $3.50 a minute.
"Passengers need to check charges with their network provider before flying," said Pryor. "The cost will vary according to whether an airline sees this as a profit-making opportunity or as a value-added service to the passenger."
Won't work in U.S.
The European Commission is hopeful that EU neighbors will agree to adopt the same technology for in-flight telecommunications, thus extending its reach.
But passengers won't be able to use their phones in U.S. airspace, where a different bandwidth is used.
Non-European airlines, such as Emirates, will be able to offer cell-phone usage when flying in EU airspace, providing their onboard equipment has been approved by the European Air Safety Agency, the equivalent of the Federal Aviation Administration.
For the time being, at least, most people flying within Europe will be spared the annoying sound of fellow passengers yelling, "Hello, I'm on the plane" into a cell phone, though possibly not for much longer.