AIR NEW ZEALAND has come up with a scheme that allows passengers to
use portable electronic devices, and those mobile phones and Personal
Digital Assistants (PDAs), which can be set to a non-transmitting
flight mode. This follows an exemption granted by the National Civil
Aviation Authority (CAA). Passengers will not be able to send and
receive phone calls or emailed messages but will be able to compose
email messages and use other functions enabled by the device with the
transmitting component deactivated. Quite how ANZ staff will be able
to police passengers, has not been made clear. It should be very easy
to compose a message and discreetly leave the device in the normal
mode. ABTN sees trouble ahead down under.
http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz