Emirates introduces in-flight mobile phone service

Emirates Airline has announced that it has launched in-flight mobile phone service, making it the first commercial airline to allow mobile phone usage while in flight. The service was introduced on a flight between Dubai and Casablanca in Morocco on March 20 onboard an Airbus A340-300 aircraft.

The plane is the first in the airline's fleet to be fitted with the AeroMobile system, a communications solution designed to prevent mobile phones from interfering with the aircraft’s electronics.

The service will only be activated when the aircraft is at cruising altitude and the cabin crew will be able to control the use of the system. The crew will be able to prevent voice calls at certain times, for example during night flights.

Passengers will be able to send and receive text messages and will be requested to keep the ringer on their handsets set to “silent”.

The airline said that it plans to extend the AeroMobile system to more aircraft and later this year will add BlackBerry and other data services.

Emirates is currently one of the fastest growing airlines in world, serving over 100 global destinations with a fleet of 113 aircraft.