Forget security and safety-of-flight concerns — airline passengers in the U.K. are worried about their sanity if cellphones are allowed in the cabin in flight. “It would drive me absolutely mad if the person next to me was using his phone,” Gwyneth Dunwoody told the London Telegraph. The newspaper has been spearheading a campaign to keep cellphones out of airline cabins. So far, over 3,000 people have signed an online petition to protest the proposal. In the U.S., the FAA has dropped any plans to consider allowing cellphone use aloft. But the European Aviation Safety Agency has given the OK to new in-flight mobile technology that allows devices to operate with less power and avoid possible interference.
Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority has identified up to 20 incidents of aircraft malfunction linked to the use of mobile phones, according to the Telegraph. Airlines planning to allow mobile use include Ryanair, Tap Air Portugal and Air France, as well as Emirates, AirAsia and Kingfisher (India) airlines.
Related Content:
Reader Poll: Should Cell Phone Use Be Allowed on Airliners?
