( CNN ) -- Switching off your cellphone during a flight will soon be a thing of the past , according to aviation experts , who are tipping in-flight mobile connectivity to become a standard feature of air travel . Virgin Atlantic recently announced that passengers can make calls on their cellphones on the airline 's Airbus A330 and Boeing 747 flying between London and New York . Call charges are similar to international roaming rates , and phones can not be used during take off and landing . But Virgin Atlantic is n't alone -- more than 100 other aircraft are currently equipped to allow calls to be made in the air . The CEO of AeroMobile , which provides mobile connectivity to Emirates , Virgin Atlantic and Malaysian Airlines planes , said 1,000 aircraft would be fitted with the company 's systems over the next three years . Lufthansa , Etihad , Turkish Airlines , Cathay Pacific , SAS and Gulf Air will all launch in-flight mobile offerings in coming months , he said . `` We believe this is going to be standard in most airlines , '' said Pal Bjordal , AeroMobile CEO . `` You will have connectivity in the air in the same way you have connectivity on the ground . '' See also : Higher air fares , more mergers ? Its rival OnAir operates on 16 airlines , and says it will extend to 24 by the end of the year . The AeroMobile system , which has been available on Emirates flights since 2008 , allows for six calls to be made by passengers at any one time ( soon to be upgraded to eight ) , and unlimited texts and data usage . For years , airlines have banned the use of cellphones citing their interference with onboard equipment . But Aeromobile 's technology involves installing a small mobile base station on board to manage signal strength , and ensure calls do not interfere with flight systems . Bjordal said research suggested about 20 cellphones were inadvertently left switched on during any given flight , and claimed that the company 's technology actually reduced the signal strength of those active cellphones . `` If you switch on a cellphone on board , and there 's no network , it will gradually increase the power it 's transmitting because it 's trying to get hooked on a network which does n't exist , '' he said . `` With our system on board , those cellphones will emit much less power . '' The service is proving popular with passengers , with one passenger on Virgin Atlantic 's fledgling service reportedly having sent 80 text messages during a single flight . Aviation analyst Vaughn Cordle of AirlineForecasts tipped mobile connectivity to become standard across the industry , and the price of access to drop . `` This is clearly what business travelers need . Many leisure passengers may not want to pay for it though , '' he said . `` But the technology is there , and if the airlines can get the volume up , they can most likely get the price down . '' See also : Apps tackle travel expenses . But the technology will not be coming to all regions , at least in the short term . Despite being a leader in in-flight Wi-Fi , the United States bans the use of mobiles on flights , requiring that phones are switched off once they enter U.S. airspace . Mary Kirby , editor of Airline Passenger Experience magazine , said the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) was currently looking into the technology , and predicted the restrictions would be lifted in a matter of years . `` Once this technology is deemed safe by the FAA , they 're going to have to join the rest of the world , '' she said . `` Regulations are going to change whether people like it or not . '' She said that despite the convenience of in-flight mobile connectivity , the impression she had gained from studies and social media reactions was that many Americans were opposed to calls being allowed on flights , because they were perceived as a nuisance . But in the years that in-flight calling had been allowed in other regions , she knew of no instances of air rage connected to phone use -- something she attributed to airlines establishing good protocols around call etiquette . `` You ca n't legislate manners from a regulatory standpoint , '' she said . `` Sooner or later , the arguments against mobile connectivity are going to fall away . ''
Virgin Atlantic has banned in - flight calls on transatlantic flights . New regulations allow for mobile phones to be used on planes without affecting equipment . In - flight calling is still legal in the UK , but some are tipping this to be overturned . Call charges are similar to international call rates .