Paramount takes off with a mobile promise

You may soon be able to make a call from your cell phone while travelling by air.

You may soon be able to make a call from your cell phone while travelling by air.

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Paramount Airways, which launched its operations in North India with its first flight from Delhi to Chennai on Wednesday, is planning to provide this facility on its planes from September this year.

“Passengers will be able to receive and make calls from their mobile phones in our planes from September,” said M.

Thiagarajan, managing director of Paramount Airways. “We are just waiting for permission from the regulatory authorities (read the DGCA) to start this facility.”

Currently, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) rules prohibit the use of cellular phones on planes because of two reasons.

The cell phone signals interfere with the aircraft’s communication and navigation facilities and can pose a security threat in case of a hijack.

Paramount Airways, which first started operations from South India, will tie up with major cellular service providers to facilitate the use of mobile phones.

But there is a rider.

You will have to pay international roaming charges.

“The aircraft itself will act as a tower and receive signals. Passengers will have to pay international roaming charges to use this facility,” he said.