NO MOBILE: That is the sign that could replace the outdated ”no
smoking" ceiling message on aircraft coming off the production lines.
Whilst on-board satellite phones have been available for at least the
last decade they have never really caught on due to cost. All this is
about to change in Europe (in the US, a single country, on-board
phones are nothing new). Air France will be the first airline to try
out the satellite-based technology early next year, followed by bmi
and TAP. The technology, developed by Airbus and SITA joint venture
OnAir, will allow passengers to make in-flight mobile calls and send
text messages on short haul flights across Europe at a cost of around
$2.50 per minute. Security issues may however require a rethink.
http://www.onair.aero