First permitted cell phone call made on an airplane

Finally! The world’s first permitted cell phone call has been made on an Emirates flight between Dubai and Casablanca.

In order to allow calls, the airline fitted a plane with a system designed by AeroMobile that prevents mobile phones from interfering with the aircraft’s electronics. Emirates also had to obtain approval from international air safety organizations.

The company said that it decided to introduce the ability to use cell phones after seeing high demand for the phones installed in seats.

Of course, this might not be such good news for those who like to sleep on flights. However, Emirates is letting the cabin crew have the final say over cell phone usage, and the system will prevent calls at night to keep disturbances to a minimum.

Emirates plans to extend the system to more planes and add BlackBerry and other data services. Hopefully this is the beginning of a trend, as being able to use a cell phone (in moderation) would be very convenient during flights. [via BBC]