Ryanair to Permit Cell Phone Use

Ryanair Holdings PLC, the low-cost Irish airline, unveiled a deal that will allow passengers to use mobile phones and other hand-held devices during flights, The Wall Street Journal reports. Ryanair has signed up telecom company OnAir—partly owned by European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co.—to fit its fleet with a lightweight technology that will allow passengers to make and receive cell phone calls, text messages and e-mails while in flight. If it gets regulatory approval, which is expected in November, the plan will be introduced by the middle of next year.