[3GScottishUser]

From ITN (30/08/2006):

Mobile phones can be used by Ryanair passengers from next year, the no-frills airline has said.

The Dublin-based carrier has completed a deal with OnAir to enable mobile communications on all Ryanair's Boeing 737 aircraft.

Subject to regulatory approval, passengers will be able to use a mobile and a BlackBerry on board, starting from the middle of next year.

And all of its fleet of over 200 aircraft should be equipped to offer the mobile service during 2008.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said: "In addition to offering our customers the lowest air fares and youngest fleet of aircraft, Ryanair will soon enable passengers to use their mobile phones and electronic communications devices in the air, just as they do on the ground."

http://www.itn.co.uk/news/business_1efaf175789f47f2599a1c2eda5d80d9.html

[maxspank]

That's good news. Taken long enough for this to happen, and it's one of the smaller airlines leading the way. good on them, I say!

[Hands0n]

Errrrrrr, ummmmm, mmmmmmm ........... so why, exactly, won't Ryanair planes be falling out of the sky due to mobile phone use and all the world's other aircraft will if a phone is so much as turned on inadvertently?

Oh, that's right, its another load of twaddle peddled by those supposedly in the know - like mobiles causing petrol stations to blow up, except that there has not been a single recorded instance of this happening anywhere on Planet Earth since mobiles came into being in 1982(ish). Gawd save us from the achademics!!

Well thats another lie put to bed :)

[3g-g]

Next time you're walking to the plane about to board, have a look and see if you can spot the pilot in his cockpit... usually blabbing on his/her mobile! Explosions due to the plane being re-fuelled?! My ar5e! :p

[3GScottishUser]

I was never in any doubt about the safety of mobiles on aircraft as the frequencies they operate at are well clear of the navigation and communication systems the aircraft depends on.

That said, Ryanair's motivation is financial. Calls made and received on board will be 'roaming' calls and charges are likely to be considerable. Don't expenct schemes like Passport or the recent roaming reductions across the EU to apply either. As a captive on-board you will have to stump up what Ryanair (or any other airline) decide and that could end up more than the cost of the return flight!! I wonder how many years it will take before this new 'roaming' development is forced to fall into line with its land based equivilents?

[Ben]

To be fair I'd expect to pay through the nose for any phone call I had to make on a plane that just couldn't wait. Plus it's going to be extremely annoying for other passengers, so I hope the rates are high enough to persuade anyone from chatting for entire flights. On the other hand, business will pay for the priviledge, so if that subsidises Joe Blogs fair then that's great!