China jails three passengers for using their phones whilst flying

A woman in China was jailed for five days for using her mobile phone during take-off.

 

Between 5th January and 6th February 2017, Chinese officials detained three passengers (in three separate incidents) for using their mobile phones whilst flying.

 

One of those detained was a female passenger flying from Harbin to Beijing. She refused to turn off her mobile phone during take-off and insisted on making calls throughout the flight. Upon landing in the Chinese capital, law enforcement officers arrested her and she was jailed for five days.

 

In a separate incident, another female passenger also flying to Beijing, was jailed for three days for using her phone during the flight.

 

The following day, a third passenger was jailed for five days for allegedly listening to music on his mobile phone during take-off and landing.

 

The vast majority of airlines have a ban on using electronic devices during take-off and landing. However, no direct evidence exists that wireless signals from passenger devices can interfere with the plane’s electronic instruments.

 

According to a study by the International Air Transport Association, between the years of 2003 and 2009, there were 75 instances of suspected electronic device interference, including 29 involving mobile phones.

 

Many aviation authorities and airlines have now taken a relaxed approach to passengers using electronic devices mid-flight. The CAAC (Civil Aviation Administration of China) is not one of them.