2013 年 9 月，歐洲航空安全局更新了相關規定，允許乘客全程使用手機，前提是開啟飛航模式。2013 年 10 月，美國聯邦航空局也提出了，允許在飛航模式下使用手機，但不適用於所有情況，會根據航空公司、飛機型號有不同的規定。
通常乘客會被要求手機關機或開起飛航模式，主要還是考量駕駛艙在運作時，會使用到無線電傳輸，例如飛行員跟航管員通訊、透過儀器降落系統的指示降落等。延伸閱讀：《知識》ILS 儀器降落系統 Introduction To Instrument Landing System (ILS)
當一架客機上載了上百位乘客，若其中十幾位乘客的手機持續與地面基地台連線，產生的無線電波可能會干擾機師與塔台的通訊品質。即使手機調成飛航模式，在開與關的瞬間，都會射出電磁波捕捉基地台訊號，即使是千分之一秒，都有可能干擾到精密的導航設備。
這也是為什麼目前仍有些航空公司，限制了飛機起降階段仍不能使用手機，因為萬一發生干擾，起降階段飛機高度不足，飛行員比較沒有時間處理；另一個風險是機長和空服員會向客艙內進行廣播，希望乘客能專心聽講，而不是低頭滑手機。乘客最保險的做法仍是配合航空公司的規定。
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Will Not Turning On "Airplane Mode" On The Phone Affect Flight Safety?
In September 2013, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency updated its rules to allow passengers to use their mobile phones throughout the flight, as long as they are in airplane mode. In October 2013, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration also proposed allowing mobile phone use in airplane mode, but with some restrictions depending on the airline and aircraft type.Passengers are usually asked to turn off their phones or put them in airplane mode because the cockpit uses radio transmissions for communication between pilots and air traffic control, as well as for landing guidance systems. Read More: Introduction To Instrument Landing System (ILS)
On a plane with hundreds of passengers, if even a dozen phones are continuously trying to connect to ground-based cell towers, the radio waves they generate could interfere with communication between pilots and air traffic control. Even when a phone is in airplane mode, it emits electromagnetic waves to search for cell tower signals when turned on or off, which can interfere with sensitive navigation equipment, even for a fraction of a second.
This is why some airlines still restrict mobile phone use during takeoff and landing. If there is interference during these critical phases, the aircraft may be at a lower altitude, leaving the pilots with less time to react. Another concern is that pilots and flight attendants need passengers' full attention for announcements, so it's important to avoid distractions like mobile phones.
To be safe, it's always best to follow the airline's rules regarding mobile phone use.
