Who on earth wants to listen to some arrogant, self important idiot at 30k feet telling his easily impressed secretary that he is "on the plane". We have enough of this self indulgent behaviour on our trains.

A M Darling, Chichester , UK

Hmm. How many more stress factors can we introduce to flying? Turn up 2 hours before boarding time. Anything other than a tissue and a haircomb, plastic of course, not allowed in hand luggage. No smoking. Spend any number of hours confined to a seat in a volatile cylinder 30,000 feet in the air, pushed up against a stranger. Said stranger is wittering at length on a 'phone for whatever reason during the flight. Hmm. Good job NO sharps ARE allowed in hand luggage. Attendant: cuffs please.

Milly, Bolton, UK

What is more irritating than phones being used on planes, whilst in flight, is the obvious lack of writing skills and spelling that are displayed in some comments!

Maybe if we used our phones less and wrote more, some of these comments might worth reading.

You can also be guaranteed extra large mobile phone bills, once the companies work out they can charge more.

Nick J - can I watch :)

Jo, Reading,

This is the last thing anyone wants. God forbid do we have to put up with idiots who cant seem to be able to stop talking? Please say no to this.

SV nagappa, Sydney,

The idea of having a 'no cell phone' zone in an airline cabin will work just as well as the 'no smoking' zone used to and as the 'no peeing zone' in swimming pools does.

Foster, Longboat Key, FL

I do not want to use my mobile on a plane and do not want to listen to others either. please no...

matty, frankfurt, germany

Planes have had phones onboard for 12+ years.

I think it should be text only once the main lights go out on the plane.

Rich, Canterbury, Kent

it is actually true that you can currently use a mobile on a plane at the moment

there were at least 30 passengers aboard a biman bangladesh airlines plane that i was recently on,who openly had there phones on with a couple of ingenious passengers using iridium phones and speaking to whoever they were speaking too.Yet none of it seemed to cause a problem with the plane while it was flying the dhaka-dubai-uk flight and none of the flight attendants done anything about it other than tell them to put the phones off (which they did until the attendants walked off)

Ali

Ali, London, UK

Mabie its just me but didnt people on the hijacked 9/11 planes use their mobiles to call loved ones?
Or was that just a load of rubbish?
On a lighter note, welcome Airplane Phone Rage

Joe, Luton, UK(USA)

Thomas from Spain,
The Jammers of which you speak are ABSOLUTLY FORBIDDEN on an aeroplane.
They are far more dangerous and will interfere far more with flight instruments on the plane and on other planes in the area than a simple phone. Don't ever think of using one on a plane!

Matt, Antibes, France

After reading all the other comments i agree that listening to some idiot next to you would be irritating but i can't help but think the following points.

if everyone you know that hass a cell phone shouts into it you should probably say something as most normal people talk normally as if they were talking to a fellow passenger in the next row.

Head phones are a great invention and freely available on most airlines there really is no need to listen to stangers if you don't want to.

And for all you people taking this a bit too far are you saying that if you were on a plane and your phone rang, you see it is a friend or family member you would then hang up on priciple. Ask yourself and i'm sure you will admit if only in your head that there is a very good chance that you would take the call.

Although i agree that it has the potential to be irritating there is another side to this debate and potential doesn't mean it will be so.

Stephen, London

Stephen Doole, London, England

I would be very unhappy if on a long haul I had just dropped off only to be awoken by a neighbour's phone ringing out. I can imagine the ire of half the passengers descending on one insomniac's head. Passengers would do well to retain the leftovers of their inflight meal for a modern equivalent of the stocks - the offender being securely fastened in.

Malcolm Padmore, Chester,

Many trains theses days have 'Quiet Coaches', where mobile phone use is prohibited. It would be a good idea for the airlines to set aside similar areas on their aircraft.

Could I suggest that the inside of the aircraft is reserved as the 'Quiet Zone', and those wishing to use mobiles be made to sit on the outside.

Chris Long, Thirsk, England

There is now a device which you will cut the transmission of a mobile phone if within a specific range, of course it is banned in the UK and Europe, but available in Hong Kong. I am now kicking myself for forgetting to follow it up on a recent trip to Hong Kong...ah well, maybe next time.

Thomas, Alicante, Spain,

Surely any airline that really claims to be looking after its passengers will reserve a section of the cabin for those who wish to travel in peace and (phone-free) quiet.

Barry, Wallington, UK

I totally agree, I too shall avoid using an airline that allows mobile phone calls. The morons that insist on using their phones at all times should be given a seperate room to use and made to pay more for their air tickets. What happens at night when you are trying to sleep on a long distance flight and the idiot next to you insists on using their phone all night?
I say DO NOT ALLOW MOBILE PHONES ON PLANES. It will also be handy for terrorists to have on board!!!!! Has anybody thought of that??????

KH, London,

Many nervous fliers will dread this development. Any unexpected sounds (especially the sort of noises and alarm sounds that mobiles can make) may cause anxiety in such passengers who just want to get up and down with the minimum of fuss and noise. There might even be the risk of confusing some mobile phone rings with the plane alarm systems- especially if one is woken up from sleep by a loud mobile ringing -thus further increasing anxiety.
I hope mobile phone use will be restricted to only certain areas of the plane, so passengers can have a choice as to whether they have a pleasant or unpleasant flying experience.

HOWARD, GLASGOW, SCOTLAND

Any airline that refuses to allow this "innovation" will be guaranteed my business.

Glenn, wales,

Quite simply I will not fly on any airline which will allow passenger mobiles to be used. A recipe for further air rage I would say at the very least!

Vic, Jersey, Channel Islands

This is fantastic news for 911 conspiracists. I am going to post this story on all their forums. This story will travel the web like a virus. Wow! Thanks to the timesonline...

jayil, london, uk

There is now a device which you will cut the transmission of a mobile phone if within a specific range, of course it is banned in the UK and Europe, but available in Hong Kong. I am now kicking myself for forgetting to follow it up on a recent trip to Hong Kong...ah well, maybe next time.

Thomas, Alicante, Spain,

I'd be 100% in favour of allowing text messaging only and no voice calls. Flying is the most cramped mode of transport by far. Communuication is sometimes very usefull to allow family to know of flight delays etc, but text only Please!

RayB , Newcastle, UK

The airlines will want this very much as it will generate plenty of revenue.
As usual the losers will be the majority who have to listen to some retard in tracksuit and trainers yelling into a phone.
Typical profits before quality of life.

John, Lincoln,

-"The losers will be passengers who find themselves seated next to a ‘cost-no-object’ mobile user."

Quite. Fortunately there are not likely to be many of those on the cheap-as-chips no-frills economy airline flights.

Djanki Amoroli, Dudley,

I am a private pilot. Cell phones do occasionally interfere with on board avionics (I've had it happen twice while on the ground), but that is rare. The reason cell phones are banned for use in planes in the US (and similar reasoning probably applies in other countries) is that a single call will occupy a slot in several dozen cells, rather than just one cell on the ground. In the US, it is actually an FCC regulation that prohibits use, not the FAA. The same is true in the UK--Ofcom is a communcations regulator analogous to the FCC, not an aviation regulator.

Cell phones do work in the air (I've done it), although perhaps not at 30,000 feet (they do work fine at 11,000 feet). However, the technology they're planning to deploy will make the technology reliable (no dropped calls as you fly lightning-fast from cell to cell, no occupying dozens of cells for one call).

That said, I will avoid any airline that allows cell phone use--the trains are bad enough, but 8 hours of that crap?

Jean-Michel Smith, Paris, France

How utterly and completely ridiculous. The last vestige of mobile-free travel about to be compromised by socially barren morons who seem unable to function without a telephone either glued to their ear, or manically sending text after text after text, complete obnoxious beeps set on the highest level.

If I am in the unfortunate position to be seated next to a mobile-phone-moron, I shall take great delight in removing the battery, and making the culprit eat it.

NickJ, Manchester, England

er... the 9/11 flights weren't flying at 35,000 ft now were they.. they were flying low. why? er... in order to hit the buildings, which are er... low enough to pick up regular mobile phone networks. That's why the phones worked.

Peter, Doncaster,

As a Frequent Flyer the thought of sitting next to someone on a mobile phone all flight outrages me.

Do people really need to make phone calls 24/7?

I hope the big airlines like Virgin and BA do not opt for this service.

What's happening to 'sit back, relax and enjoy the flight'

Steve, Birmingham, England

If you believe the stories from 9/11, the mobile phones have been working from aircraft for years!

Paul Asbury, Sunshine Coast, Australia

Boorish behaviour was once socially ostracized. Today, it is not just to be found everywhere, but but to be paraded about and glorified by fellow boors, all too often publicized by and thereby sanctified by the "media".

Six thousand miles of this boorish behaviour from Los Angeles to Heathrow will be too much, even in Upper Class. As cell phones come into an airline I use, I shall move on to another not yet blighted by the boors.

Bob Evans, Anaheim, California

Why do we need any extra equipment when the passengers of the doomed 9/11 terrorist flight managed happily without?

Is there something the airline industry is not telling us in order to make an extra buck?

joe, Edinburgh, Scotland