British Airways has decided to allow passengers to make in-flight phone calls following the recent implementation of Starlink aboard its planes. After ditching this plan initially, British Airways doubled down on allowing calls. Now, the carrier allows passengers to make calls on all flights with WiFi.
According to The Independent, the new technology onboard British Airways allows for various forms of voice communication including FaceTime and WhatsApp to Zoom and Teams. Though this will give passengers more freedom to work, stay in touch with loved ones, check emails and use social media, the idea of allowing calls may make some frequent travelers groan.
Loud passengers aboard long flights can already be a nuisance. For many, a flight offers a chance to get some rest, relax, watch movies, but British Airways has apparently addressed this concern, writing “If you need to take a call during the flight, we’d appreciate it if you could keep your voice low and use headphones.”
In the U.S., a ban on in-flight phone calls is upheld via mandate by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and reports from The Travel indicate that the organization strictly enforces it. However, this ban cannot technically be used to oversee the actions of non-U.S. airlines.
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