British Airways lifts mobile phone and iPad restrictions

British Airways announces passengers can use mobile phones and iPads during take off and landing – but only in "flight safe" mode

Passengers on British Airways flights will be allowed to use their mobile phones, iPads and other electronic gadgets during take-off and landing from today, the airline has announced.

BA is the first airline in Europe to allow passengers to keep hand-held electronic devices switched on from the moment they enter the plane to the moment they leave provided they are kept on "flight safe mode".

Although the rules still prohibit calls, text messages or emails, they will allow people to work, read, play games, listen to music or watch films stored on their phones or tablet computers.

The change comes after the European Aviation Safety Agency announced earlier this month that airlines were free to relax restrictions on the use of electronic devices if they wished.
It follows the introduction of similar rules by US airlines last month after the American Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) indicated that restrictions could be removed.