Can you make a cell phone call from an airplane?
Chloe Ramirez
Updated on May 10, 2026
Just so, what happens if you make a phone call on a plane?
By adding Airplane Mode, device manufacturers have made our lives easier. When you flip on this feature, it turns off your phone's cellular radio so you can't make phone calls or text. It also turns off WiFi and Bluetooth, but both of those can be re-enabled and used on planes. Airlines continue to innovate.
Also, could you make a cell phone call from an airplane in 2001? In 2001, a dominant (but declining) cell phone system was analog AMPS system at 850 MHz with up to 3 watts transmission power on the mobile side. For those reasons, the Airfone system and the AMPS system, the cell phone calls were possible from Flight 93 but would not be possible today.
Consequently, can you make phone calls while flying?
You can't make in-flight voice calls on your phone using a cell phone signal (that's already an FCC no-no), but you could make calls using Wi-Fi. If the airlines would let you. The airline would have to tell you before you buy the ticket if Wi-Fi voice calls are allowed on a flight.
Do cell phones work at 35000 feet?
Some older phones, which have stronger transmitters and operate on analog networks, can be used at a maximum altitude of 10 miles, while phones on newer digital systems can work at altitudes of 5 to 6 miles. A typical airline cruising altitude would be 35,000 feet, or about 6.6 miles.