Passengers onboard flights will be able to use their mobile phones through take-off and landing, according to the European aviation regulator.
The regulator rules that use of the phones does not pose a risk to safety.
But it is up to individual airlines to decide if it will permit such use.
Presently, passengers are obliged to switch their phones to airplane mode which shuts down transmitters and receivers so that calls cannot be made or texts sent.
The use of phones onboard has been gradually gaining acceptance, but never for the take-off and landing portions of a flight.
To offer this, airlines will have to conduct a safety assessment to see that their aircraft systems are not affected by transmission signals. Once done, the company will have to install equipment which will provide a signal for the phones.
