Although some countries have relaxed the rules regarding using airplane mode on flights, it is best to follow crew member instructions and use airplane mode whenever you are instructed.
You’re not the only one who has ever wondered why you have to keep your phone in airplane mode while on a flight. Many frequent flyers can’t recall the reason behind this rule and some have even forgotten to activate it. What really happens when you do not use the airplane mode? What you hear depends on who you talk to.
“Not a damn thing,” says Gary CoxeA pilot and flight trainer with over 7,000 hours of flight time, including jets, gliders, and helicopters. The Washington-based airline technician who wishes to remain anonymous has told Travel + Leisure He shares Coxe’s opinion. Most aviation experts will admit that it’s courteous to place your phone in plane mode, even if its consequences aren’t too dire.
“No, the plane will not fall out of the air, nor will it affect any systems aboard.” It could cause problems with headsets, says a U.S. Army vet and pilot who goes by PerchPoint On TikTok where his December 2024 viral video explaining airplane mode The video has been viewed over 1.2 million times. He continues to explain that if there are three or four passengers in a Boeing 737 using their phones to connect to a cellular service, the radio waves can interfere with headsets.
As pilots have often limited visibility, they depend on information from the ground that they receive through their headsets. This is particularly true during take-off and land (which are when most aviation accidents happen). When cell phone radio signals interfere with headsets and cause interference, pilots are still able to hear control tower instructions, but audio quality may be affected. PerchPoint says that it is “annoying” and compares it to the buzzing sound a mosquito makes.
A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA refused to tell T+L if they were aware of any incidents where the phone was not in airplane mode and caused an accident. The FAA did state that the use of cell phones (and other personal electronic devices) is allowed only if they don’t interfere with the safety and communications systems on the plane. The FAA follows the Federal Communications Commission In 1991, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), forbid all cell phone usage in flight, because cell phone signals interfered with “critical aviation instruments”.
The FCC revisited this topic in 2013 and noted that technological advancements meant passengers could still use their phone as long they were on airplane mode. They found that technology that could be installed directly onto an aircraft was now available and had been successfully deployed in other countries without incident. In the same year, CNN reported on an International Air Transport Association study that found that from 2003–2009, there were only 29 instances when cell phones were suspected of causing electronic device interference.
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Today, in the U.K., and in the European Union, it is not necessary to turn your phone into airplane mode. If their airline permits it, they can send texts and make calls. The European Commission has not only approved 5G technology in flight, but they have mandated it. By June 2023, EU members airlines will be required to install special network equipment on their aircraft that utilizes a satellite network in order to keep passengers connected. The “picocell” is a kind of portable cell tower.
Unfortunately, European 5G networks are different than their American counterparts. They operate on a lower-frequency that does not interfere in the same way as 5G networks operating at higher frequencies. It’s for this reason that travelers in the U.S. cannot expect the FAA to implement the technology anytime soon (since it hasn’t changed its airplane mode rules since 2017). According to a FAA public affairs specialist, passengers must obey all safety instructions from crew members even if the instructions are not explained.
There are some instances in which passengers were punished for refusing their phones to be put into airplane mode. In 2016, a British passenger flying Flybe—a now-defunct regional airline—from Amsterdam to Exeter was fined more than $600 for his disobedience. You might even be kicked from the plane. In 2018, a passenger from Indiana was kicked off a flight. argued with a flight attendant If you ask her if her phone is in airplane mode, she will tell you.
It’s better to put your phone into airplane mode when you are asked, despite all the controversy. In airplane mode, the phone doesn’t try to connect to a tower and conserves battery. Being at cruising height is also a great way to recharge your social batteries and be unreachable. Relax, relax and enjoy your flight.
