A ban on using mobile phones on aircraft remains in place for safety reasons, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said today, despite tests on cell phone systems on some aircraft.
An increasing minority of passengers appear to be ignoring instructions to turn off phones on aircraft, but mobile use is forbidden unless cabin crew say otherwise.
The CAA said: “Use of mobiles can adversely affect navigation and communication functions, producing significant errors on instrument displays and background noise on pilot radios.”
Pilots complain that interference from phones has led to false notification of unsafe conditions, the malfunction of aircraft systems and interrupts flight crew communications.
CAA head of flight operations Bob Jones said: “The safety risks of using a mobile on board an aircraft are well established. Some airlines are testing various systems, but this does not weaken in any way the ban on phones being used on board the vast majority of UK aircraft.
“Unless told otherwise, people must not text or phone while the cabin doors of an aircraft are closed.”