Mobile phone service on Air Malta must wait

Air Malta is still studying the possibility of introducing mobile communication services on its planes but no immediate plans are in the pipeline.

An airline spokesman told The Times that following the new rules issued by the European Commission to harmonise the conditions regulating the use of mobile communication services in aircraft, Air Malta will be studying the introduction of such systems on its aircraft in line with its safety and commercial policies and in the best interest of its customers.

"As with other airlines, the introduction of mobile phone usage on board Air Malta aircraft is subject to a lengthy process of certification by the aircraft manufacturer and state authorities," the spokesman said.

"This certification process will necessitate the evaluation of the effects of mobile phone transmissions on the aircraft navigation systems and other electronic equipment."

The spokesman added that until such studies by state authorities are concluded for each particular aircraft type, Air Malta will uphold its safety policy regarding use of mobile phones on board. He specified that, until further notice, mobile phones must still be switched off when on board the plane.

A few weeks ago the European Commission published new rules enabling European passengers to use their personal mobile phones in flight. Many European airlines have been working on this issue for years and are already well advanced in their preparations to offer the service.

Some of the main European carriers like Air France, Portugal's TAP, Ryanair and British carrier BMI have already invested in the technology and announced that they will be introducing the new facility in a few weeks' time. It is estimated that by the end of this year almost half of all European airlines will introduce the facility.

Plane maker Airbus, which carried out the research on the service two years ago, said that the positive result paved the way for the widespread use of mobiles on aircraft.

Air Malta has a brand new fleet of Airbus planes.

According to the new technology being installed by airlines, passenger phones will be linked to an onboard cellular network connected to the ground via satellite. The system will at the same time prevent phones from connecting directly to mobile networks on the ground below. This will ensure that transmission powers are kept low enough for mobile phones to be used without affecting the safety of aircraft equipment or the normal operation of terrestrial mobile networks.

The same technology will be used to provide internet Wi-Fi facilities on board aircraft.

The new facilities will only be switched off during take-off and landing.