An airline passenger has been convicted of endangering an aircraft in flight by refusing to turn off a mobile telephone. Airlines have been watching the case, brought under Article 55 of the UK Air Navigation Order concerning endangering an aircraft or its passengers, with trepidation because of the implications if the verdict had gone the other way.
The event took place on a British Airways Boeing 737-300 during a flight on 24 September last year from Madrid, Spain, to Manchester, UK. UK Civil Aviation Authority head of avionic systems Dan Hawkes testified that the 737 has not been screened against electromagnetic interference of the type emitted by mobile telephones in use or just switched on.
BA says that it will seek the prosecution of any passenger who does not comply with safety regulations on mobile telephones and electronic equipment. The CAA welcomed the court's decision to uphold its guidelines that mobile telephones should be switched off at all times during the flight.
Source: Flight International
