Good news for frequent and even not so frequent flyers. As of this afternoon, you’ll no longer have to hold-off dominating the next level of Frisbee Forever until after takeoff, with the announcement from Qantas and Virgin that passengers will now be allowed to keep their electronic devices on during the entire flight.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) approved applications from the airlines on Monday, allowing passengers to use their mobile phones, iPods and tablets during take-off and landing, provided they remain in “flight-mode”.
The CASA said the shift in regulations was because of advancements in aviation technology, new research had deemed mobile devices in flight mode did not cause electronic interference and therefore posed no safety threat.
“Qantas has conducted rigorous testing to assess the impacts of electronic devices on the safe operation of aircraft,” said Qantas Domestic Chief Executive Officer Lyell Strambi. “We are confident that these devices are safe to be turned on, but in flight mode, for the duration of each flight.”
According to Qantas’ announcement, you still can’t make calls or text while on the plane and “customers are still required to listen to all inflight safety briefings and comply with cabin crew instructions”.
The new policy applies to domestic and short-haul Virgin Australia flights and all domestic and international Qantas flights. Airlines in the US, New Zealand and Europe have already introduced simliar policy changes and other airlines operating in Australia are expected to follow suit.
