At one time, mobile phone usage was totally banned on board aircraft, but now, the path is set for airborne use of smartphones and other electronic devices.
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Do mobile phone signals really interfere with navigational flight instruments? The truth is, these signals can have a strong impact on the surroundings. A good example of this is where, if your mobile phone happens to be next to older unshielded radios and there is an incoming call, you can hear a squelchy noise. In that same order, there can be interferences on board a flight caused by strong mobile phone signals, and anything that affects the plane should not be taken lightly. This is especially vital in less than favourable flying conditions such as in bad weather, when a plane relies heavily on various electronic signals to stay locked onto the centre beam of the runway as it approaches for an automatic landing.