FCC says Airlines responsible for Testing Cell Phone Safety During Flight

Nicholas Sabatini, the FAA's associate administrator for aviation safety, told the subcommittee. "If an air carrier is willing to take the time and incur the expense of testing and verifying that the cell phone usage presents no in-flight interference problems, our rules allow an air carrier to permit such devices."

An Airline MVNO is one way around the problem of having to constantly certify lots of phones. An airline MVNO could focus on the best business travelers and offer a compelling voice and data package and focus on high-end devices from RIM, Palm and devices running Windows Mobile. A lot of executives would pay for a WiFi/Cellular offering that let them use their phone in the air and WiFi in the airport.