Scandinavian Airlines will be the first airline to allow the use of some
mobile phone functions during flight. In the so-called flight-safe mode,
the mobile phone is switched on without sending or receiving signals and
won`t therefore affect flight security.

It is the latest mobile phones, such as the Sony Ericsson P800, which
have this flight-safe mode. With this, the traveler on board a SAS
flight can use a mobile phone to update his or her diary, write e-mail
and take notes, edit documents, play games, listen to music and even
take photos with a built-in camera - everything except make a phone
call.
SAS passengers who have mobile phones equipped with the flight-safe mode
can use them as work tools or for entertainment onboard, effective
immediately.
“The objective is to meet the demand of customers to be able to work and
communicate while traveling on land or in the air,” says Ulf Ingnäs,
head of Product Management In-flight, Scandinavian Airlines.

Travelers onboard Scandinavian Airlines can already use other electronic
products that do not transmit or receive signals, such as portable PCs,
PDAs, DVD/CD cassette players, electronic games and calculators.

Scandinavian Airlines plans to become the first airline in 2004 to offer
Internet connection on board intercontinental flights.
“Our home market is the world`s most IT-dense region, so it is
completely natural that we want to offer travelers the opportunity to
use electronic gadgets whenever possible,” says Ulf Ingnäs. “This is the
reason we have an ongoing dialog with telecommunications producers.”
Photo of a mobile phone user onboard can be seen at www.scandinavian.net
under the About SAS/ Picture archive/ In the air.

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