Airline passengers will be able to make in-flight mobile phone calls later this year following the awarding of the safety certificate for airborne GSM equipment on planes.

The European Aviation Safety Authority has given the green light for the technology to be installed on planes following a series of delays in the last two years.

Air France will become the first airline to offer in-flight mobile service on an Airbus A318 next month. For the first three months, the service will be limited to emails and text messages before being expanded to include mobile phone calls.

BMI will become the first UK airline to offer the service on a single flight and low-cost carrier Ryanair will be the first to support calls across its fleet.

The technology has been developed by OnAir, a joint venture between Airbus and IT supplier Sita.

A picocell onboard the plane will pick up mobile phone signals via an antenna that runs along the length of the plane. The signal will then be converted, sent to a satellite and routed to the ground network.

‘This certification validates the integrity of the work that Airbus has done in developing and integrating technology from best of breed suppliers,’ said OnAir chief executive Benoit Debains.