“The Sacaa wishes to clarify that despite reports from some media outlets, SAA to date is the only operator\/airline that officially applied and received the requisite exemption to test this possibility,” spokesman Kabelo Ledwaba said in a statement.<\/p>\n
He said SAA was granted a six-month exemption in January and that the testing phase started on April 15.<\/p>\n
One of the conditions of the exemption was that the airline submit a detailed proposal on how it would monitor the use of cellphones during flights.<\/p>\n
The Sacaa would additionally conduct its own monitoring, Kabelo said.<\/p>\n
“The initial testing phase is for six months and, depending on the results of these tests, the Sacaa may conclude the testing phase or may request further tests.”<\/p>\n
The testing would take place on certain domestic routes, for each aircraft type in the SAA fleet and at certain specified times of the day.<\/p>\n
There would also be onboard announcements advising passengers that testing would be conducted and guidelines on what the tests would entail.<\/p>\n
He said the civil aviation regulator and the aeronautical information circular still prohibited the use of certain electronic devices, including cellphones on flights.<\/p>\n
However, it acknowledged that technology advanced rapidly and the fact that airlines showed interest in testing the feasibility of using cellphones of flights came as no surprise.<\/p>\n
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