Security Samizdat

From the International Herald Tribune:

Approval by the European Aviation Safety Agency means that, from September, passengers aboard Airbus aircraft outfitted with the OnAir system will be able to send and receive phone calls, SMS messages and e-mail messages while flying at altitudes above 3,000 meters, or 9,840 feet.

Cabin staff members will be able to turn off the system or restrict usage to text services like SMS, as they see fit.

This is a good idea. The rule against use of mobile phones while in flight has to be managed as any other risk, that is, modeling the threat, understanding the risk and mitigating it. The rate of change of technological and social environment means that these rules have to be reevaluated every so often. It certainly made no sense to keep early-80’s safety rules as if written in stone.

The provision against mobile phone usage below 3000 meters (during take off and landing) makes sense, although most people will continue to ignore it, as they do now.