Airplane mode may come to an end on flights, but not everyone is happy about it

Airline passengers will soon be allowed to use their mobile phones for calls and streaming mid-flight on aeroplanes in the EU. The European Commission ruled that airlines can provide 5G technology on their planes alongside slower data networks.

The plan for 5G to be permitted on flights will allow passengers to use all their phone’s features during the flight, including calls and video and music streaming services. Member states of the EU have been given a deadline of 30 June 2023 to make the 5G frequency available on planes, as per the BBC.

Innovative

Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, said that the new rules will ‘enable innovative services for people’ and be good for the European economy, adding:

The sky is no longer a limit when it comes to possibilities offered by super-fast, high-capacity connectivity.

Previously, there had been concern about allowing mobile phone usage on flights as it was unknown to what extent it interfered with the aircraft's computers and communication systems. However, increasingly the consensus is that 5G frequencies are safe to use. Dai Whittington, chief secretary of the UK Flight Safety Committee commented, as per the BBC:

The travelling public wants 5G. The regulators will open up that possibility, but there will be steps that will be taken to ensure that whatever they do is safe.

Mixed response

For some, however, the prospect of allowing phones to be used on planes has not been received so positively. The prospect of noisy passengers talking on their phones is not seen as a welcome addition for many. Lucy Canham, a flight attendant based in Birmingham, comments on how it would affect her job, as per iNews:

Many of our customers wish to sleep onboard and the person next to them speaking loudly on a phone call could lead to disruption. Customers seeking privacy for calls could block up toilets and galleys while we’re trying to work.

As technology advances at such a staggering rate, it is difficult for standards of etiquette to keep up. If airlines do go ahead and offer the 5G technology on flights, it is hoped that people will use the service considerately.

Jo Bryant, an etiquette expert who once worked for Debrett’s, an authority on social etiquette and behaviour, commented:

When we fly, we are often on the plane for many hours, so peace, quite and consideration for others is paramount. If mobile phones are to be used, then everyone is going to have to be ultra-aware of the impact their actions will have on others.

She recommends that passengers keep their devices on silent mode and only use them for essential calls. Similarly, video calls should be avoided, people should use headphones and speak quietly.

Sources used:

- BBC 'No more airplane mode? EU to allow calls on flights'

- iNews 'Why 5G and phone calls on planes would create a new frontier of passive aggression'