EU allows mobile phone use on planes

The European Commission has approved today a regulation that sets a common standard by which passengers can safely use their mobile phones during flights. With the approval by EU regulators, airlines will be able to launch onboard mobile services later this year.

EU officials said the service will only be activated when the aircraft is at cruising altitude and will not be available during take off or landing. The cabin crew will have control over the system and will be able to switch off the onboard network, for example during night flights.

Viviane Reding, the EU's telecommunications commissioner, warned phone operators not to set rates for the service too high and urged airlines to protect passengers from excessive phone use.

Already, national regulators in Britain have said they are ready to grant licenses, and Air France, Ryanair and BMI have already launched a trial or have plans to make an in-flight phone service available.

Germany's Lufthansa, however, said Monday it does not want to introduce the service, because surveys had shown that a large majority of customers were against it.