Customers will be able to make calls on Virgin flights
Holidaymakers will soon be able to make in-flight calls after Virgin Atlantic became the first British airline to permit the use of mobile phones.
At first, the mobile service will only be available on London to New York flights aboard Virgin’s new A330 aircraft, but it will also feature on the airline’s B747 aircraft once a £50 million refurbishment has been completed.
The firm, which also flies to destinations including Delhi, Sydney and Dubai, hopes that 20 aircraft will have the service by the end of this year.
Greg Dawson, director of corporate communications at Virgin, explained that the company had made the move on the basis of customer requests.
“We have listened to what customers want and connectivity in the air is always on the wish list,” he said.
“Many people will have experienced that moment when you’re about to take off on a 10-hour flight and you need to send an important message … reminding a family member to feed the cat!”
However, phones will still be banned during take-off and landing, as well as when in US airspace and, at £1 per minute, it won’t be cheap either.
Written by Anthony Nicholson
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