Shanghai to Dubai in-flight calls allowed on Emirates
Emirates AeroMobile greeting message sent to those ready to use their mobile phone on Emirates' morning flight from Shanghai to Dubai.Shanghai phoneaholics can now ditch reading or snoozing and continue their favorite time-killer -- a mobile phone -- up in the air.
Emirates has recently allowed in-flight phone calls and texting on morning flights from Shanghai to Dubai (EK 305), promoting itself as the first airline providing this service in China, according to Online.sh.cn.
Emirates became the world's first airline to introduce in-flight mobile phone use for passengers in March 2008 on a flight from Dubai to Casablanca.
Their Shanghai office emphasizes all of the flights with the mobile phone service have been going well so far and most passengers are excited at the idea of being able to connect with their friends and family up in the air.
But don't expect a plane filled with people yapping into their Smartphones, as thankfully the system only supports a maximum of five to six users on one flight at the same time and air stewards also have a full control over the availability of AeroMobile.
Passengers have previously been able to make phone calls with the TV controller on Emirates, but this new service provides a potentially cheaper alternative for passengers to use their own mobile phones.
Though flyers better have a good international calling plan because in-flight mobile phone services charge international roaming rates.
AeoroMobile magic
The magic behind the initiative is the installation of AeroMobile, which is a mobile satellite communication system. According to Emirates, this system transmits signals up to the communication satellite instead of down to the ground.
Three major Chinese air carriers, Air China, China Southern and China Eastern, announced earlier this year that they were also looking into ways to make in-flight phone calls possible.
