As planes gain in connectivity and smartphones become omnipresent, a simple gesture continues to be required before each takeoff. The plane mode, which appeared in the 1990s while mobile phones still aroused distrust, is now part of the ritual of air trip. Its real usefulness, however, still raises questions. Between technical imperatives, persistent precautions and passenger comfort, its maintenance reflects much more than a simple regulatory heritage.
This precautionary principle has remained in force for years. Nicolas Larrieu, researcher at the National School of Civil Aviation, explains that no one had tested the planes designed before the 2000s in the face of the massive use of phones. The arrival of Wi-Fi in flight or Bluetooth connectivity made it possible to develop these rules, without making the plane mode obsolete.
Since 2014, the European Aviation Safety Agency has authorized passengers to keep their devices lit throughout the flight, provided they activate plane mode. This includes the sensitive rolling, takeoff and landing phases.
What airlines really accept today
The use of mobile phones on board planes is no longer as strictly supervised as before, but certain limits remain. Wi-Fi connectivity is now offered on many flights, as is the possibility of using a Bluetooth helmet. However, the use of the mobile network remains prohibited, especially in takeoff and landing, phases where the vigilance of the pilots is maximum.
The influencer Perchpoint, followed by more than a million people on Tiktok, explains in a viral video published in 2024 that plane mode is not a gadget. According to him, a smartphone that tries to connect without success to an antenna will amplify its signal. This signal can then interfere with the helmets used in the cockpit. He compares this disruption to the unpleasant sensation of a mosquito bursting in the ear during an important conversation. Nothing dangerous in itself, but enough to interfere with a pilot when receiving critical instructions.
Electronic devices must thus go into plane mode from boarding. This avoids any possible interference with the on -board instruments. To date, no accident has been linked to an active phone. However, this rule remains in force to guarantee safe and stable flight conditions. Travel and Leisure also underlines that even if certain countries, such as those of the European Union, now authorize calls and SMS in flight thanks to on -board technology, this practice remains supervised and inapplicable on transatlantic flights, for lack of universal equipment.
When the smartphone is looking for a network, this is where the problems start
By leaving the mobile network active on board, a phone will spend considerable energy to try to connect. This constant research empties the battery much faster, without convincing result once at high altitude. As BFMTV points out, above 10,000 feet, the majority of devices do not capture anything, except in SOS mode. As a result, a battery started unnecessarily, for an inoperative service.
But the consequences do not stop there. If the phone manages to hang a branch when flying over a country, roaming costs can be added. Automatic notifications, emails in the background or applications that have remained open can then activate an involuntary connection.
Doug Drury, professor at CQ University in Australia, recalls in The Conversation that the ground relays can be saturated if too many phones try to connect to low altitude. This also complicates the cabin management for the on -board staff, not to mention noise and disorder if everyone could make a call during the service.
In short, even if the plane mode is no longer as crucial as it has been, it remains a technological and human compromise. It protects communications on board, preserves the battery and avoids unforeseen costs. To activate it, it is not just obeying an instruction, it is to participate in a more fluid and more serene flight for everyone.
