The Hindu Business Line : Cell-phones and airline safety

THE mobile telecommunications industry supports the airline industry's view to play it safe and agrees that cellular phones should be turned off when requested by the airlines, however, some of the claims in the article "Why cell-phones are a threat to air safety" (Business Line, January 19) are incorrect and unnecessarily alarmist.

First, the article's claim that cellular phones can ignite petrol fumes is a well-known urban myth. Scientific research shows the risk of ignition from cellular phone use at a petrol station is very remote.

A 1999 report by an independent scientific, engineering and technical consulting firm, Exponent Failure Analysis Associates, concluded that "the use of a cell phone at a gasoline filling station under normal operating conditions presents a negligible hazard" and that the likelihood of such an accident under any conditions "is very remote".

An analysis by the Centre for the Study of Wireless Electromagnetic Compatibility Centre at the University of Oklahoma reached a similar conclusion in August 2001. It said research into this issue "provided virtually no evidence to suggest that cell phones pose a hazard at gas stations".

These expert views are supported by the fact that there has been no actual incident of fuel ignition at petrol stations that has been demonstrated to have been caused by cellular phone use, anywhere in the world.

Secondly, modern aircraft are designed to meet stringent international safety standards including requirements dictating comprehensive shielding of the planes wiring and electronic systems.

These shielding requirements are specifically intended to prevent electromagnetic interference. In fact, aircraft routinely deal with large sources of electromagnetic energy such as from high power airport radar systems.

There is no substantiated proof that cellular phones can interfere with aircraft systems from within the passenger cabin. Although incidents are regularly reported by aircrew, these anecdotal reports have not been confirmed as phone related.

sThe British research referred to by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority involved simulated cellular phone transmissions held 30cm from avionics normally found on the flight deck. While these results are relevant to aircrew, they are not as relevant to commercial airline passengers.

Although there is no clear evidence that cellular phones can interfere with aircraft systems, they can cause network interference if used from an aircraft.

In the US, the Federal Communications Commission has banned the use of cellular phones in aircraft while airborne because of the effect airborne cellular phone usage has on the network.

Potentially, several cellular phone cell sites could pick up the same signal from a cellular phone call made from an airplane flying at a high rate of speed over many sites. Multiply this effect by hundreds of phone calls being made from an aircraft in a holding pattern over a major city and the network could become overloaded.

Furthermore, the suggestion in the article to ban cell phones on all aircraft is at odds with the decisions of airlines around the world to relax policies to allow the use of cellular phones while planes are taxing to and from the runway.

For example, both American Airlines and Continental Airlines have made this change on all their flights with the US's Federal Aviation Administration approval.

In Australia, Qantas City Flyer services allow passengers to use cellular phones up to when to the plane's door is closed.

However, passengers should always comply with the requirements of individual airlines relating to the use of personal electronic devices during plane travel.

Michael Milligan, Secretary-General, Mobile Manufacturers Forum

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