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Passengers can switch on mobiles as soon as plane lands
By siliconindia
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Tuesday, 19 October 2010, 19:47 IST
Bangalore: Now it is time to say bye to 'power-off mode' as soon as the plane lands. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that it has allowed air passengers to use cell phones in an aircraft after it lands and clears the active runway and the new procedure may be adopted by the airlines at the earliest by October 22.
So far, the use of mobiles was allowed only after the aircraft came to a complete halt and boarding gates opened. This was done to ensure that mobile signals do not disturb the communication between the cockpit and the air traffic control. The aviation safety regulator said it had amended Rule 29B of Aircraft Rules.
The DGCA has amended the Rule 29B of Aircraft Rules to provide for the use of the cellular phones by passengers after the aircraft has landed and cleared the active runway, except in cases when low visibility conditions exist at the airport, said an official statement.
According to the regulator, the pilot in command of the flight after clearing the active runway and with no other runway or intersections to cross, in visual flight conditions, will intimate the cabin crew to announce that the passengers were free to use cellular phones.
