Why do you have to put your phone on airplane mode when flying?

When boarding a plane, passengers are often asked by flight attendants to switch their cell phones to airplane mode or turn off all electronic devices completely before takeoff.

This is a mandatory regulation and is widely applied in the aviation industry worldwide to ensure flight safety. However, many people still wonder whether phone waves and signals from these devices really affect the aircraft system and what is the specific reason behind this requirement.

Avoid interference with aircraft communications systems

One of the most important reasons why passengers are asked to put their phones into airplane mode is to avoid interfering with the aircraft's communication and navigation systems.

Electronic devices, especially cell phones and those with wireless connectivity, continuously emit radio signals to maintain communication with ground-based broadcast stations.

These signals can create electromagnetic interference, affecting critical aircraft systems such as radar, navigation systems, altimeters, or even communications between pilots and air traffic controllers.

Although the risk of interference in practice is not very high because aviation systems have been designed to withstand the effects of external interference sources, in an environment with many devices operating at the same time, the risk can still occur.

Therefore, to ensure absolute flight safety, airlines around the world still maintain regulations requiring passengers to turn off or switch electronic devices to airplane mode throughout the journey.

Comply with aviation industry regulations

The world's leading aviation authorities, including the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), have all issued strict regulations requiring passengers to completely turn off electronic devices or switch to airplane mode during takeoff and landing.

These are the most important and sensitive stages of the flight, when the crew needs to ensure that there are no elements that could interfere with the aircraft's communications and navigation systems.

Compliance with this regulation not only helps maintain flight safety but also reduces the risk of affecting important electronic systems, such as navigation systems, altimeters or communications between pilots and air traffic controllers.

Additionally, studies in the aviation industry have shown that in a confined space with hundreds of electronic devices operating at the same time, signal accumulation can increase the risk of interference, which, although small, can still impact important equipment.

Therefore, this regulation is maintained on all commercial flights to ensure absolute safety for passengers and crew.

Avoid interference with mobile ground stations

When an aircraft flies at high altitudes, a mobile phone cannot maintain a stable connection to a fixed base station on the ground. Instead, the device continuously scans and searches for signals from many different base stations along the flight path.

This process causes the phone to work at a higher capacity to maintain the connection, which not only drains the battery faster but can also create a stronger signal that interferes with other communication systems.

In addition, because the plane moves at high speed, the phones on board are constantly switching between multiple base stations in a short period of time. This can overload the telecommunications system on the ground, especially when there are hundreds of devices operating on a flight.

Multiple phones simultaneously connecting and disconnecting from base stations can reduce network performance, affecting the quality of telecommunications services for users on the ground.

Additionally, radio signals from a large number of phones on board an aircraft can resonate and create widespread interference. This can negatively impact the operation of mobile networks, reducing the quality of connections not only for passengers on the flight but also for users in areas over which the aircraft flies.

Therefore, requiring passengers to switch their phones to airplane mode not only protects the system on the plane but also helps maintain the stability of the telecommunications network on the ground.

Save phone battery and enhance your flying experience

Without a stable connection, your phone will use more battery power searching for a signal. Without airplane mode on, your device will quickly run out of battery. Switching to airplane mode can help extend battery life and make your flight more comfortable.

In addition, many airlines now provide in-flight Wi-Fi service, allowing passengers to use the Internet even when the device is in airplane mode. This allows you to work and entertain while still ensuring compliance with safety regulations.

In short, switching your mobile phone to airplane mode when taking off is not only a mandatory regulation but also a measure to ensure flight safety and limit interference.

Passengers should comply with this requirement to help make the flight smoother and safer. Although aviation technology is increasingly advanced, safety regulations always come first, and passenger cooperation is extremely important.