Virgin Atlantic says that passengers would prefer data only calls rather than mobiles on flights

UK's communication regulator, Ofcom, gave its go ahead earlier in the month for its approval for mobile phones to be used to planes within Europe's airspace and for UK registered aircraft.

A spokesman for Virgin Atlantic said "At the moment, evidence suggests our passengers would prefer data-only calls and we are studying the technology" although the airline was investigating mobile technology to see what would be available in the future.

Virgin Atlantic passengers are already able to send and receive emails and make outgoing phone calls using the airline's highly rated in-flight entertainment systems.

Emirates also provide similar facilities for passengers and recently announced that a passenger had made the world's first authorised in-air mobile voice call on one of its flights.

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