Somewhat controversially, the use of mobile phones on planes was first sanctioned back in 2008. And whilst it never really took off (excuse the pun!), Virgin Atlantic is rolling it out over its entire fleet over the next three years, starting with flights out of Gatwick and Manchester in May.

Whilst on a day-to-day basis (and some might argue on a minute-to-minute basis) we couldn’t be without mobile phones, it seems that the general public don’t want phones to be used during flights.

It seems the mobile craze in the skies hasn’t really taken off and whilst we use our phones for the Internet on the train and in restaurants to check Facebook or Tweet where we are, it’s not something we want to do 30,000 feet up!

A 2011 survey by Fly.com revealed that less than 5% of passengers actually want mobiles to be allowed in our skies!

The Fly.com survey of 1,300 frequent travellers, also revealed:

• 30% of travellers would actually be put off flying with an airline if mobile phones were allowed
• Objections included constant interruption from email alerts and social networking and people speaking very loudly whilst on them
• Passengers would not want to pay more than £5 per flight for Internet access
• Less than 1% of passengers would pay £10 per flight for Internet access.

In February 2009, Ryanair was one of the first to allow mobile phone usage on their aircraft but quickly reversed that decision. Now mobile phones are not allowed to be used on their aircraft in flight. British Airways llows mobile use for its Business Class passengers flying between London City and New York but not for voice calls, just for texts, emails and Internet usage. bmi and Qantas launched similar text and data usage trials.

Emirates offers the full use of mobile phones on selected services, via the AeroMobile facility.

Several years ago, a Telegraph Travel petition saw 7,000 signatures expressing concerns over mobile phones being used on flights, regarding security and safety issues, not to mention the irritation of listening to fellow passengers on the phone!

Speaking about the survey, Aaron Ritoper, General Manager of Fly.com, said: “These results really highlight the perception UK travellers have that connectivity on flights could be more of an interference than an enhancement. We believe this perception will change as services are introduced, given that people already enjoy wireless connectivity when commuting by train.”

Wizz Air, the largest low fare – low cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe announced today that it would provide a special rescue package to passengers impacted by the suspension of Malev’s operations by offering re-routing alternatives to/from Budapest.

The airline is offering passengers, who are booked on Malev’s Budapest to London Gatwick flights, rescue fares on its Budapest to London Luton service.

Passengers who hold a valid Malev electronic ticket for travel between February 3, 2012 and March 24, 2012 can call the Wizz Air call centre at +36 1 358 6565 to benefit from the 9900 HUF fares (all inclusive, one way). Seats are subject to availability and flights must be rebooked by 6pm February 13, 2012.

Rebooking Conditions:

Passengers must have the Malev electronic ticket number available when calling the Wizz Air call centre to rebook their travel. Passengers will also need to present a printed copy of their original Malev electronic ticket (in addition to the Wizz Air itinerary), upon check-in for their Wizz Air flight. Passengers without a Malev electronic ticket will not be allowed to travel.

Additional charges apply for optional services such as checked baggage, pre-boarding, etc. Please check wizzair.com for these details along with information about baggage size and weight restrictions.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has launched a new price comparison tool to enable travellers to see a summary of optional charges levied by the top airlines in the UK.

The tool details information of costs of hold luggage, in flight meal charges, seat reservation and other optional airline fees.

Andrew Haines, Chief Executive of the CAA said: “The diversity of UK aviation offers excellent choice and value to UK consumers with airlines adopting various business models. To really benefit from that choice consumers want to know the full price picture. For some passengers and airlines the headline ticket price will be the most expensive part of the booking, whilst for others the impact of optional fees and charges can change their view of the best overall price.

“Our table allows passengers to easily compare the optional fees that airlines charge and it’s important to consider those charges alongside the ticket price and the extra charges that could be applied before making their booking.”

To view the fees and charges comparison table click here: http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/2200/Comparing_airline_charges_1st_Feb_2012_.pdf

The CAA plans to update the charges table on a quarterly basis.

Airbus A380 operations out of Gatwick could move a step closer if a planning application to reconfigure an aircraft stand gains approval.

According to Crawley News, Gatwick Airport has submitted a planning application to Crawley Borough Council to reconfigure an aircraft stand and parking area to accommodate the Airbus A380 at the airport’s North Terminal.

Gatwick gained planning permission in 2010 to accommodate the Airbus A380, which is capable of taking up to 853 passengers.

Spectrum Interactive, the UK’s largest independent provider of Wi-Fi and related services, has announced it has partnered with Virgin Atlantic to deliver guest Wi-Fi provision at the airline’s flagship Clubhouse lounges at Heathrow Terminal 3 and Gatwick South.

The Spectrum solution focused on improving the passenger user-experience, and providing local dedicated technical, engineering and account management support, along with full customisation to reflect the Virgin Atlantic experience its passengers expect.

Graham Lampen, IT service manager at Virgin Atlantic said: “The timescale for getting our new Wi-Fi system up and running was very challenging, but Spectrum was able to design and install the service with minimum disruption and with zero downtime.” He added: “The feedback on the Spectrum service from visitors, staff and management has been very positive.”

“We are delighted to have been selected as Virgin Atlantic’s Wi-Fi provider;” said Daniel Gray, commercial director at Spectrum Interactive. “This agreement with such a prestigious and iconic travel brand further reinforces Spectrum’s position in the market and increases our footprint in airline lounges which has seen significant growth during the last two years, including installations into Virgin Holidays’ Vroom lounges.”

ARINC Incorporated has announced it has taken over the support and maintenance of 48 Common-Use Self-Service (CUSS) kiosks used by international airlines at London Gatwick Airport.

ARINC was contracted for the work in late 2010 after Gatwick Airport requested a proposal for support services for their existing kiosk estate. ARINC’s offer included a new software platform to improve operation of the kiosks, and a full maintenance and support package to ensure ongoing operational effectiveness.

Beginning in late 2010 it took over the existing kiosk hardware and installed new IBM CUSS platform software to manage the kiosks and their associated airline applications.

More recently, ARINC has installed and now supports an additional 30 new IBM “N series” kiosks within Gatwick’s North Terminal.

“Automated passenger processing solutions are more critical than ever for airports today,” stated Andy Hubbard, ARINC EMEA Managing Director. “Efficiently managing the diverse passenger profile of today’s travelers is key to an airport’s success, and a cost-effective and reliable CUSS system is a vital part of the solution. We are delighted to be given the opportunity to assist Gatwick Airport in delivering on their vision of streamlined passenger handling.”

ARINC has become the industry leader in this area of passenger processing, and with IBM has installed 60% of the CUSS kiosks at airports worldwide. ARINC also supports other CUSS kiosk installations at a number of UK airports.

Ryanair is to add 18 extra flights to the Six Nation rugby matches.

The extra flights will operate on the following routes as follows:

• Bristol – Dublin – two extra flights on 5 February for Ireland vs. Wales
• London – Rome – two extra flights on 10 and 12 February for Italy vs. England
• Dublin – Paris – six extra flights on 10/11/12 February for France vs. Ireland
• Paris – Edinburgh – four extra flights on 25 and 27 February for Scotland vs. France
• Dublin – Edinburgh – four extra flights on 9 and 11 March for Scotland vs. Ireland

Flybe has today announced the awarding of contracts for full ground handling services to Menzies Aviation, the aviation services division of John Menzies plc, at two of its biggest UK bases, Birmingham and London Gatwick.

The agreement is for a period of three years commencing on 31 March 2012 at both airports.

The contracts are a furtherance of an already successful relationship between Flybe and Menzies Aviation, who already provide similar services for the airline at Edinburgh, Glasgow, East Midlands and Luton airports.

Andrew Strong, Flybe UK’s Director of Managing Director comments: “Flybe is delighted to extend its successful relationship with Menzies Aviation. The company has served us well to date and we look forward to continuing to work with them in the future at two of our busiest bases. As well as providing a high quality service that supports Flybe’s fast turnaround provision, the deal generates significant savings for Flybe as we look to proactively manage our cost base.”

Craig Smyth, Menzies Aviation’s Managing Director, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded the Flybe business in Gatwick and Birmingham. We have had a relationship with Flybe for 5 years in the UK and to add these two stations to our joint portfolio gives both companies a strong platform for our future together and extends the excellent working relationship we have. This is a wonderful start to 2012.”

Flybe has grown rapidly at London Gatwick over the last five years to the point where it is now its third largest slot holder at the airport, is the largest domestic carrier by some distance, operating 10 routes and is the airport’s most punctual carrier. Flybe is Birmingham Airport’s largest scheduled airline, operating 22 routes and employs some 400 staff at the airport.

Gatwick Airport experienced 12 consecutive months of increased passenger numbers in 2011.

December saw a 19.8% increase in passenger traffic when compared with December 2010, however, this was mainly attributable to the affects of the snow disruption in 2010. Taking the snow disruptions in to consideration, the airport saw an estimated overall increase of 4.3%.

Overall, in 2011, Gatwick saw a 7.3% increase in passenger numbers compared with 2010.

Contributing to the increase in numbers were a 15.7% increase in European scheduled traffic, a 7% increase in domestic and Channel Island passengers and a 5.8% rise in passengers to Ireland.

Gatwick to Ljubljana flights are set to return this spring following an announcement by Adria Airways.

The airline, which offers Stansted to Ljubljana flights, originally cancelled the service last year, however, after restructuring, Adria will recommence its Gatwick to Ljubljana service on 28 March 2012.

Flights will operate five times per week.