By now, we’re all familiar with the overhead announcement that usually comes after boarding is complete: “Please turn off your phone or put it in airplane mode.” The question is, do you really have to?
The simple answer is yes, you must set your phone to airplane mode while on the plane. Why? Because the FAA mandates it. FAA regulations require all passengers to put their cell phones in airplane mode when flying.
“The FCC [Federal Communications Commission] The FAA bans the use of cell phones on board because their signals could interfere with critical aircraft instruments. Device must be in airplane mode to use or disable cellular connectivity. ” FAA website.
That’s why airlines make this announcement every time they fly. The concern is that mobile phone signals may interfere with navigation and communication systems. This is a perfectly reasonable assumption, and one that many people have held since the dawn of the mobile phone era. However, there is little evidence to support the hypothesis that cell phone signals interfere with aircraft navigation or communication systems.
The Federal Aviation Administration actually conducted a study on this back in 2012. Report findings almost no examples Cell phone use disrupts aircraft. Since then, mobile phones have become more integrated into modern society and technology has continued to advance. We’re now in the 5G era, and ideas about using your phone on a plane have changed. European approval in 2022 Using a mobile phone on a plane Calls and data usage via 5G connection.
The EU’s decision is in sharp contrast to the position of the US authorities, who were once very worried that 5G antennas on the ground would interfere with aircraft operations, resulting in Flight cancellations and diversions. However, 5G signals use a different frequency band than aircraft communication systems, minimizing the risk of interference. Still, the increasing complexity of modern aircraft and their automated systems has not diminished some concerns that cellphone signals could interfere with aircraft systems.
Actually, A pilot project recently went viral on TikTok He posted a video urging passengers to use airplane mode. He said “this is not a conspiracy” but a legitimate security issue.
You may be wondering why cell phone signals are considered a potential risk, but Wi-Fi signals (available on most aircraft) are not. This is because Wi-Fi operates at a lower intensity and on a different frequency than your phone.
But the real reason you’ll likely still have to use Airplane Mode for the foreseeable future is that the FAA doesn’t want to risk doing anything that will make air travel more stressful. “I expect bans on voice calls and video calls to remain in place at least for the foreseeable future because airplanes are crowded, shared environments,” said Henry Harteveldt, an aviation industry analyst at Atmospheric Research Group in San Francisco. .” “Even on a good day, people in the cabin are nervous given how full airline flights are.”
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Harteveldt added that he doubted the airline industry would be eager to change the rules. “Airlines want the FAA to keep this rule in place because then when passengers complain, they can point the finger at the FAA and say, ‘OK, we hear you, but it’s their fault ,'” he said.
For airlines, flight mode directives save them the trouble of being the bad guy, and it also serves as a peacekeeping method that helps keep the skies friendly…friendly.
“The airlines may tell the FAA, ‘Don’t you dare change this policy,'” Harteveldt said. “I don’t think the airlines or the FAA want to risk further angering passengers by making them Hearing neighbors talking in an enclosed space with little room for escape.”
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