British Airways becomes the first European airline to allow gadgets at takeoff

Last month, the European Aviation Safety Agency announced that it was going to join step with the FAA and allow electronic devices to be used during takeoff and landing. Now, British Airways is the first European airline to allow more free’n’easy use of gadgets in flights.

Following the wave of US airlines that changed policy after the FAA reassessed the rules, British Airways is letting passengers keep their electronic devices switched on for the entirety of their flight. According to the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, there’s still no text and no calls allowed, and Brits will still be ordered to put wireless devices into flight mode, although the changes (which start today) apparently don’t include laptops.