China Southern Airlines announced on Jan 18 that its passengers will be able to use portable electronic devices (PEDs) during flights starting on Jan 19.
Passengers will be able to use cellphones, tablets, laptops and other personal electronic devices during their flights, but all phones have to be switched to flight mode.
The Guangzhou-based airline company is the third in China to relax the ban on PED use on airplanes following Hainan Airlines and China Eastern Airlines which permitted their use on Jan 17.
According to a notice issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China on Jan 16, domestic airlines can now make their own decisions on whether to permit the use of personal electronic devices on domestic flights.
Many foreign airlines allow the use of cellphones in flight mode, but before Jan 17 passengers had to turn off their phones during domestic flights to be in accordance with China's civil aviation regulations.
China Southern Airlines also announced that passengers must follow the orders of the flight crew when certain conditions or emergencies require them to turn off their PEDs.
A Chinese Southern Airlines plane lands at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. [Photo provided to Chinadaily.com.cn]
