Mobile use on flights 'favoured by flyers'

Many travellers would use mobile phones during flights if they were able to, according to a new survey.

Both business and leisure passengers tend to carry mobile phones on flights, with over half of business passengers admitting that they would switch their phone on if they could, the research by OnAir reveals.

Around 41 per cent of leisure travellers say they would turn their mobiles on, with 95 per cent of these doing so to receive a call and 78 per cent to send a text message.

Currently, a number of airlines carry restrictions when it comes to the use of mobile phones and other wireless devices on flights.

But OnAir states that the results of the survey indicate a need for more airlines to open up to the use of inflight communications.

"It is very clear that air passengers want to remain in touch during flights," comments George Cooper, chief executive of OnAir.

"Airlines have an immediate opportunity to provide a new and innovative service for their passengers and in particular their valuable business passengers."

The survey also suggested that there are differences between passengers from various countries when it comes to whether they would use their mobiles while in the air.

Travellers from Spain were revealed to be the most eager to stay in touch with friends and family via their phones, while tourists from France were found to receive 82 per cent more mobile calls than their British counterparts.

OnAir is a manufacturer of products for airlines, such as Air France, that allow the inflight use of mobile devices.

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