An experienced airline pilot has delivered a blunt safety message to passengers who disregard instructions to switch their mobile phones to aeroplane mode during flights.
The Real Risk of Multiple Mobile Phones
Savina Paül, an Airbus A330 captain, explained that while a single active phone poses little threat, the combined effect of hundreds of devices creates genuine safety concerns. Modern aircraft like the Airbus A330 are essentially massive computers, with highly sophisticated systems that can be affected by external electrical interference.
She emphasised this is particularly critical during high-precision approaches known in aviation as category 3 approaches, or autoland, where systems need to function perfectly. "One mobile phone switched on does nothing, but 300 mobile phones at once, especially during a high-precision approach, can cause interference," Paül stated during her appearance on the Spanish podcast 'Supersónicos Anónimos'.
How Interference Affects Aircraft Systems
The pilot revealed that this interference directly impacts the aircraft's instruments, not through radio signals as many passengers assume. She recounted incidents where fault warnings would suddenly appear and disappear during taxiing, often coinciding with passengers turning their phones on immediately after landing.
"The plane is basically a computer, and these things happen," Paül explained, noting that even small errors can trigger brief alerts in the control systems. She insists passengers must keep devices in aeroplane mode throughout the entire flight, regardless of the journey's duration, and recommends waiting several minutes after landing before reactivating phones.
A Direct Appeal to Passengers
In a segment from the podcast shared on TikTok, the captain made a direct appeal to travellers: "If travellers are listening to this, please don't ignore us regarding airplane mode on phones. It may seem silly, but it's not."
Her comments, reported by the Mirror and Daily Record, underscore that using aeroplane mode represents a genuine safety measure rather than merely an inconvenience. The pilot's warning serves as a crucial reminder that following cabin crew instructions about electronic devices helps ensure everyone's safety during air travel.
