SA Airways and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are testing the use of cellphones in flight mode on the national carriers’ aircraft.

The move is a significant step for both the carrier and the authority, which have long banned the use of any mobile devices on planes, saying they interfere with on-board systems such as those used for navigation.

“At this stage, SAA is the only airline in SA to work with the CAA to carry out these tests, which are currently underway,” the company says.

None of SA’s airlines allow passengers to keep their phones on during the cruise phase of a flight, even if the devices have flight mode available.

Flight mode usually turns off radio frequency services like GPS, Internet access and voice services, while allowing users access to other services such as music players and games.

Now the aviation authority and SAA have decided to test whether phones in flight mode cause any interference. The airline says it will provide more details once testing has been completed.

Although passengers will still not be able to make calls or use the Internet on flights, the move is a step toward catching up with international standards.

“SAA is working with the CAA to test the use of cellphones in flight mode (this does not mean making calls while flying) on board our aircraft during the cruise phase of the journey.”

If the service proves safe and popular, it could result in the authority relooking at regulations governing in-flight Internet access, which some SA airlines have tested using on-board base stations. — Staff reporter, TechCentral