Europe widens in-flight use of gadgets

[BERLIN] The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said on Friday it had authorised airlines to allow passengers to use mobile electronic devices, including phones, throughout the flight.

The move allows European airlines, which first carried out a safety assessment, to permit portable electronic devices such as smartphones to stay switched on without being on "airplane mode", it said. Other such devices include tablets, laptops, e-readers and MP3 players.

"This is the latest regulatory step towards enabling the ability to offer 'gage-to-gate' telecommunication or Wi-Fi services," the EASA said in a statement.