"The sky over Europe is now open for mobile operators," said European Commission spokesperson Martin Selmayr. But, as Gazeta.Ru notes, despite the formal permission, passengers will still have to switch off their phones at the pilots' request for some time, as this service is currently available only on a few aircraft.
According to Martin Selmayr, the 27 EU member states have six months to familiarize themselves with the new rules. To prevent mobile communication from interfering with pilots' work, airliners will be equipped with a portable base station that will only receive signals within the aircraft, then transmitting data directly to a satellite. Currently, this system is being tested on Air France aircraft. "In any case, mobile phone use will be prohibited during takeoff and landing, as during these periods navigation systems are most actively exchanging information with air traffic control and airport radars," said Agvan Mikaelyan, general director of the company "Finexpertiza." According to him, after the aircraft reaches the required altitude, "mobile phone signals will no longer be a hindrance, as the external navigation system operates to a lesser extent."
The European Commission discussed the issue of using mobile phones on board aircraft for half a year. Some airlines already offered such a service to their passengers, but now all EU countries have received permission.
In order for mobile phone use on airplanes to become safe, it was necessary to create uniform legislation, says EC representative Viviane Reding. According to her, this service is aimed mainly at business people, "who need to be reachable wherever they are."
The main initiative to popularize this service should be taken by telecommunications operators, the EC believes. The cost of calls will be determined by the operators themselves, but the European Commission intends to closely monitor that they are reasonable. "Operators must keep call prices at a reasonable level," the European Commission statement says.
The European Commission hopes that countries such as Ukraine and the United Kingdom will also adopt the new rules. Russian passengers are also still deprived of the opportunity to use mobile phones in the sky, but analysts believe it is a matter of time. Leading Russian mobile operators have already signed contracts with AeroMobile and OnAir – operators providing cellular services on aircraft – and are ready to promote this service in Russia. "So far, the service is available for our clients on board the Airbus A340-300 aircraft of Emirates airline, which flies to more than 60 countries worldwide," says Marina Belasheva, press secretary of the company "Megafon."
"Black box" couldn't handle the call
The ban on using mobile phones during flight became widespread in 2000 after the crash of a Saab 340 airliner near Zurich. The final causes of the accident and the deaths of the crew and ten passengers have still not been disclosed. However, the results of the investigation of the "black box" showed that at a certain moment the navigation instruments and aircraft control systems began to give incorrect data. Investigators questioned mobile operators and found out that just before the disaster, an SMS was sent from the aircraft, followed by a phone call. Thus, the most likely version remains a failure in the aircraft control systems due to the impact of radio waves.
US specialists were the first to warn about possible disruptions in equipment operation in 1991. After the Saab 340 crash incident, even countries that were skeptical about the potential threat of mobile phones joined the ban.