Few days ago I was flying by plane and stewards asked us to turn our devices to Airplane Mode. But why is that?
In: Technology
Radio waves can interfere with plane systems, especially the ILS (the instrument landing system, which sends radio signals from the ground to the plane, to help it land in the right spot). Theoretically other systems can be impacted as well, like the radios, but newer planes are more hardened, and newer phones are less powerful from a signal perspective than older analog models.
There are a few other reasons, which are less official, but I think are also reasons the rules persist, despite improved plane and phone technology. Having your phone off, makes you pay more attention to the safety demonstration, and also any emergency crew announcements during takeoff or landing. Also, if phones are put away during taxi and takeoff, there is less risk of them flying around the cabin and hitting other people in the case of a sudden stop or accident.
Latest Answers