Survey finds 21% of UK travellers ignore plane mobile ban

A fifth of British travellers ignore mobile phone regulations on planes, according to a survey.

As many as 21% said they did not always follow the mobiles rule when flying, the poll by travel agent sunshine.co.uk found.

The most common phone fault was turning a mobile back on again earlier than allowed after landing, followed by not switching a device off at the requested time.

Other misdemeanours included trying to access the internet during a flight and trying to send text messages or make calls while airborne.

A total of 1,793 UK adults who had travelled on a plane in the last three years were surveyed. Of those who did not follow the rules, 86% pleaded forgetfulness.

But some said they had not followed regulations as they did not think phone usage actually affected the plane.

Sunshine.co.uk managing director Chris Clarkson said: “It seems many Britons chose to ignore what they should and shouldn’t do with their mobile phone during a flight, despite being told clearly by the airline staff.

“There’s still a lot of confusion surrounding what effect mobile phones can have on a plane, but previous incidents have been linked to phones and so airlines choose to be safe rather than sorry.”