The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has allowed European airlines to permit mobile devices to remain switched on during flights without the need of being in “airplane mode”, according to a recent announcement. After a safety assessment process, passengers will be able to use their smartphones, tablets, laptops, e-readers or MP3 players just like in any other mode of transport, throughout the trip.
This new EASA’s guidance is the latest regulatory step towards offering “gate-to-gate” telecommunication or WiFi services.
However, according to EASA, the decision of allowing use of portable electronic devices (PEDs) in planes rests upon each airline alone, as they will need to go through an assessment process to ensure that aircraft systems are not in any way affected by transmission signals from PEDs. For this reason, there may be differences among airlines as to whether and when the devices can be used.