14 DAY TRIAL // Starting July, Air France customers that will fly aboard the Airbus A318 will be able to use their mobile phones, not for making and receiving calls, but for sending text messages and emails to other users.
As if that weren't enough, in three months time they'll also be allowed to make voice calls. The trial will last for six months and customers will have to fill out a questionnaire about the service at the end of each flight.
While Air France has in fact stated that it is aware of the potential annoyance of in-flight mobile conversations, the questionnaires will provide the feedback needed and the company will be able to realize whether allowing cell phone use while aboard a plane is something its customers want or not.
As mentioned previously, for the first three months they will only be able to use the connectivity for data services such as text messages or sending emails from Blackberry handsets or other devices. After that they'll also be able to make voice calls during the flight, for the first time anywhere in the world.
As for airplane passengers in the US, everything stays the same. The FCC's ban of phones on airplanes is still in place and most likely will continue to be in the near future.
However, if AirFrance's trial proves to be successful, not only will the company consider allowing cell phone use on all of its planes, but also, the FCC might reconsider the ban it has enforced in the US. AirFrance was supposed to launch the in-flight mobile service last month, but it was apparently forced to delay it until the summer due to regulatory certification for the on-board equipment taking longer than expected.