UK solution to Emirates' mobile call

Air travellers will be able to use their mobile phones on a commercial service for the first time from January after super-rich carrier Emirates signed up for a British firm's new technology.

Emirates is to install inflight mobile-phone technology designed by Crawley-based AeroMobile on its long-haul flights. Mobiles have been banned on flights because power surges they create upset avionic systems. AeroMobile has spent tens of millions of pounds in the past four years on developing a system that can manage those power levels.

"This is a historic step forward for the aviation industry," said David Poltorak, president of AeroMobile, which is backed by Telenor of Norway and US tech company ARINC.

Analysts believe mobile phone use on planes could become a 1 billion-a-year business, and AeroMobile reckons it will be making 100 million a year within five years.

Passengers on Emirates planes will be charged about 2 a minute for a call, comparable with current international roaming charges.