They are giving it a try for six months — BMI has become the first UK airline to offer its passengers the use of their mobile devices in-flight via Inmarsat. The airline is testing the service using OnAir's Mobile OnAir equipment on an Airbus A320 flying between London and Moscow. The six-month trial follows the granting of a license to BMI by the UK telecoms regulator Ofcom.

Passengers will be able to send and receive texts and emails using their phones and PDAs. Laptops fitted with GSM cards can also access the Internet. Peter Spencer, managing director of BMI, said: "Our research tells us that our business passengers in particular have two key concerns, getting through the airport quickly and being able to carry on working during their journey, so we're confident that many will warmly welcome this service.

"The trial will help us address some of the social etiquette issues regarding the use of mobile communications devices in-flight and provide valuable customer feedback, which will be at the heart of deciding how the service is developed and rolled out across the remainder of our 'mid-haul' fleet."

Benoit Debains, chief executive of OnAir, said "With the start of BMI's trial, Mobile OnAir is now flying on two airlines in Europe and has already flown to 53 cities in 24 countries in Europe and North Africa."