It’s reported that British Airways will soon let passengers switch on their mobile phones as soon as a plane has landed and left the runway. The change is expected to be implemented from 1st July, making BA the first European airline to do this. At the moment, passengers are required to keep electronic equipment switched off from take-off until the aircraft has stopped.
The Civil Aviation Authority is said to be satisfied there are no safety implications with this change.
Rules about keeping equipment switched off during take-off and flight remain unchanged.
In the USA, an aviation rulemaking committee is expected to propose new rules on portable electronic devices to the Federal Aviation Administration later this year.
[More details: FAA fact sheet; BBC News]