British Airways to introduce mobile phones on planes
British Airways has announced that it will introduce mobile phone technology on its business-class only flights between London City Airport and New York JFK.
Passengers travelling on the twice-daily route, set to launch in the autumn, will be able to send and receive text messages and emails during the flight, and access the internet.
“The service is aimed at people in the Square Mile,” said a spokesman for BA. “We believe the route and the new technology will offer an appealing package to business travellers.”
BA might consider the introduction of voice calls if the text messaging service proved successful, but they will not be permitted initially.
“There are no plans for voice calls at the moment but we will listen to feedback from passengers,” he added. “The customer is in charge.”
The introduction of mobile phone technology has caused controversy since Emirates became the first airline to offer the service in March 2008, charging passengers £2 a minute for voice calls.
Last year, a Telegraph Travel petition to keep the skies mobile-free attracted around 7,000 signatures, with readers expressing safety concerns and unease at the prospect of listening to other passengers’ conversations at 30,000 feet.
Since Emirates introduced the service, on a flight from Dubai to Casablanca, it has begun extending the technology to the rest of its fleet – more than 100 aircraft. So far, 28 planes have been fitted.
Low-cost carrier Ryanair announced last year that it would begin testing the technology – including voice calls – on at least 10 of its aircraft, with the intention of extending the service to its entire fleet.
However, a spokesman for the airline says that it is still waiting for the go-ahead from European regulators.
Meanwhile, BMI has been testing a text messaging-only service on its flights between Heathrow and Moscow since December.
A BMI spokesman said that the airline was unlikely to launch voice calls, in part due to a lack of public support for the idea.
In a Telegraph Travel poll carried out last year, 85 per cent of readers said they would boycott airlines that offered in-flight mobile phone use.
Other carriers that have begun testing or and considering the technology include Air France, Qantas, TAP Air Portugal, Kingfisher, Air Asia, Oman Air and Royal Jordanian.
Lufthansa has ruled out using the service, while Virgin Atlantic has expressed reservations.
source
Passengers travelling on the twice-daily route, set to launch in the autumn, will be able to send and receive text messages and emails during the flight, and access the internet.
“The service is aimed at people in the Square Mile,” said a spokesman for BA. “We believe the route and the new technology will offer an appealing package to business travellers.”
BA might consider the introduction of voice calls if the text messaging service proved successful, but they will not be permitted initially.
“There are no plans for voice calls at the moment but we will listen to feedback from passengers,” he added. “The customer is in charge.”
The introduction of mobile phone technology has caused controversy since Emirates became the first airline to offer the service in March 2008, charging passengers £2 a minute for voice calls.
Last year, a Telegraph Travel petition to keep the skies mobile-free attracted around 7,000 signatures, with readers expressing safety concerns and unease at the prospect of listening to other passengers’ conversations at 30,000 feet.
Since Emirates introduced the service, on a flight from Dubai to Casablanca, it has begun extending the technology to the rest of its fleet – more than 100 aircraft. So far, 28 planes have been fitted.
Low-cost carrier Ryanair announced last year that it would begin testing the technology – including voice calls – on at least 10 of its aircraft, with the intention of extending the service to its entire fleet.
However, a spokesman for the airline says that it is still waiting for the go-ahead from European regulators.
Meanwhile, BMI has been testing a text messaging-only service on its flights between Heathrow and Moscow since December.
A BMI spokesman said that the airline was unlikely to launch voice calls, in part due to a lack of public support for the idea.
In a Telegraph Travel poll carried out last year, 85 per cent of readers said they would boycott airlines that offered in-flight mobile phone use.
Other carriers that have begun testing or and considering the technology include Air France, Qantas, TAP Air Portugal, Kingfisher, Air Asia, Oman Air and Royal Jordanian.
Lufthansa has ruled out using the service, while Virgin Atlantic has expressed reservations.
source
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