Chinese passengers may soon be able to use smartphones aboard commercial flights. (Photo : Twitter)
Passengers aboard Chinese airline flights may finally be able to take out their cellphones if aviation authorities push through would plans to lift restrictions on the use of such devices on airplanes.
Zhu Tao, director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China's air transportation division, said that his office is currently drafting an amendment to current passenger regulations to widen the range of electronic devices allowed to be used aboard Chinese airliners, China Daily reputed.
Under current regulations, passengers are not allowed to use cellular phones in-flight due to concerns that their signals might interfere with the aircraft's equipment. However, other electronic devices, like tablets are allowed.
The use of Wi-Fi connections on flights has also since been allowed. Air China was to first to offer in-flight Wi-Fi on its Beijing to Chengdu route in 2011, which was then followed by China Eastern, Hainan Airlines and Shenzen Air, among others.
However, other airlines are still yet to adopt the practice, waiting on how it is eventually be received by customers. On the other hand, those that do offer the service currently provide it to just a limited number of passengers. China Eastern, for instance, offer Wi-Fi only to the first 50 passengers who book a particular flight.
Despite some passengers expressing concerns over the safety of allowing cellphone use on flights, Zhu said that the new relaxed regulations will likely take effect later this year or in early 2017.
Meanwhile, the Chinese smartphone market saw another increase in sales for the second quarter of 2016. Sales from April to June grew by 24 percent from the same period last year, netting $32.4 billion, the South China Morning Post reported.
The increase was attributed to growing demand for smartphones in the rural areas, which has also increased the adoption of 4G services. Local phone manufacturers still dominate the market, accounting for 81 percent of sales.
China is considered the largest market for smartphones.
