Ryanair passengers will be using mobile phones in-flight within two weeks.

The low cost airline is fitting 14 of its 166 aircraft with miniature mobile phone masts to enable passengers to make and receive calls and texts, and emails via Blackberries and similar devices.

The calls will be charged according to the in-flight roaming charge imposed by the phone user’s network, and will cost up to £2 per minute.

At present only passengers signed up to the O2 and 3 networks will be able to use the service, but more are expected to sign up shortly.

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O2's inflight calling charge will vary by destination between £1.65 and £1.99 for making or receiving a call and 40 pence per text.

The in-flight call charge is not subject to the European Commission’s proposed cap on foreign roaming charges.

As well as making money for the mobile phone networks, the service will offer Ryanair another revenue stream – the airline will take a cut of the charges made for every call, text and email.

After six months, Ryanair will roll out the service across its entire fleet if it is deemed a success.

Ryanair passengers will be able to send unlimited texts and emails during their flight, but only six passengers at any one time will be able to make a call. If a passenger tries to make a call when six other phones are already in use, they will receive a “network busy” message.

Ryanair has teamed up with OnAir to develop the inflight phone service. The company is also working with Air France, Bmi and TAP Portugal plus a number of carriers in the Middle East and Asia.

The subject of mobile phone use in flight has been delayed by controversy over safety concerns, but OnAir says Ryanair has received the necessary safety certificates.

According to OnAir, Ryanair's in-flight phone service has been given the green light by the European Aviation Safety Authority. A spokesman told Times Online that the proximity of the miniature phone mast, or picocell, to passengers’ mobile phones means that handsets will emit only a low signal, so potential for interference with the aircraft’s avionics are kept to a minimum.

The other controversy concerning in-flight phone use is passenger reaction to the service. In a recent poll, Times Online readers voted 87 per cent against the introduction of mobile phone calls on planes.

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