December 2011
Featured in this insight: IT & telecommunications, Transport & infrastructure
Survey finds millions of flight passengers ignore request to switch off mobile: A survey by travel company HolidayExtra.com has revealed that over the past 12 months, around six-and-a-half million Britons are failing to switch off their mobile phones when flying in and out of the UK.
The study questioned nearly 2,000 holidaymakers about whether they turned off their electronics during take-off and landing – with 3% admitting they do not, and with 216 million commercial airline passengers having taken flights over the past year, this results in the finding of more than six million people who defiantly keep their phones switched on.
It has long been warned by the aviation industry that in-flight use of electronic devices poses a danger, primarily because the plane’s electronics might be affected.
Nevertheless, a further 21% of the surveyants said that although they do turn off their gadgets in compliance with the request by airline staff, they do not believe it makes any difference to flight safety.
Editor-in-Chief at HolidayExtras.com, Seamus McCauley, commented:”Of course safety comes first and if there’s a legitimate reason to turn these devices off, it’s important people comply. But if nearly six-and-a-half million people have flown in or out of the UK with electronic devices turned on, and none of those planes have fallen out of the sky, maybe now is the time to look at reviewing those rules and let people leave their phones and computers on if they wish.”
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