FINNAIR HAS BEGUN trials of a system, which can detect mobile-telephone signals inside aircraft cabins. Cabin crew will be equipped with the portable device to catch mobile-phone users, whose calls may interfere with aircraft systems.
The carrier says that, despite being alerted to the potential dangers, a small minority of passengers is still making calls. The aim of the trial is to establish how widespread this activity is and then to eliminate it. The company says that passengers caught making or receiving a call on a flight will be asked to hang up.
The use of personal telephones on aircraft is forbidden under International Air Transport Association and Finnish telecommunications rules.
Finnair plans to use ten detectors during a six-month trial. The device, roughly the size of a pager, consists of a non-scanning radio receiver, which can be tuned to "listen" for frequencies in the 1Hz-2GHz range. The unit is most sensitive at around 900MHz, a frequency commonly used for mobile telephones.
Veijo Haapanen of Co-Jot in Espoo, Finland, which developed the device, says that it allows cabin crew to "home in" on a passenger using a personal telephone. The device has a range of 50m (165ft).
Source: Flight International
