Heathrow Airport hosts first mobile-enabled flight

Heathrow Airport played host last week to the first commercial flight to or from the UK to offer inflight mobile use.

Passengers on an Emirates flight from Dubai to London on August 7th made use of the AeroMobile system to make more than 30 calls.

While it is expected to be approved in the near future, mobile use is still banned in UK airspace and the Emirates system is only available on ten per cent of flights and when aircraft are above 23,000 feet.

The airline asks its passengers to keep their phones on silent at all times and also gives its crews the potential to switch off the AeroMobile system or make it text only at any time.

So far the scheme appears to have been a success, with Emirates spokesman Patrick Brannelly saying there have been no complaints from passengers.

He added: "The cabin noise level on airliners is such that you cannot hear people making phone calls and the call quality has been so good there has been no need to shout."

A number of other carriers – including Air France, Qantas and Turkish Airlines - have tested out the AeroMobile system, which uses a weak signal that does not interfere with aircraft technology.

Mobile phones are becoming an increasingly important part of the travel industry, with applications such as Just the Flight Mobile enabling customers to book flights and keep up with the latest news on their handheld devices.

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