Air New Zealand to allow mobile use on new A320

Melbourne, Feb 7 (ANI): Air New Zealand has said that the passengers on the black Airbus A320 will soon be able to use their mobile phones.

This privilege, however, will come at a price.

The black-liveried Airbus A320 aircraft commences its first commercial flights today.

It will be fitted with new in-flight mobile technology, which, within the next month, will enable the safe use of phones to make and receive phone calls, text messages and emails, during the cruise stage of flights, reports news.com.au.

The system - only to be made available on the domestic A320 aircraft - has been designed in such a way that passengers' mobile phone signals are routed through an aircraft cell site.

The airline has reported stricken a deal with Vodafone New Zealand and OnAir, for this service.

Inflight roaming costs will apply; 80 cents per outbound text, $2.66 per minute to make a call, $1.52 per minute to receive a call and $15.21 per megabyte of data.

The rates can vary, depending on your mobile provider.

The move has Civil Aviation Authority approval. (ANI)