Pilot Explains What Really Happens If You Don’t Put Your Phone On Airplane Mode: Why Africa Should Pay Attention

 

A commercial airline pilot has ignited a digital storm with a viral TikTok video that’s quickly turning heads across Africa. The pilot, known on TikTok as @PerchPoint, tackled a long-standing debate among air travelers: Why are passengers told to put their phones on airplane mode during flights?

This widely followed video, shared on platforms like Eyes of Lagos, unpacks the myth that phone signals can crash a plane. While this has never been the case, the pilot offers a more grounded reality: active phones can pose a real hazard by interfering with cockpit communications, especially during critical flight phases.

This revelation lands at a time when African aviation is growing rapidly but continues to face major hurdles in terms of passenger education and consistent regulation enforcement. What seems like a simple, dismissible inflight rule is actually a vital piece in the puzzle of flight safety, a piece that, if ignored, could place undue stress on pilots operating in already challenging environments.

Across many African countries, especially in West, East, and Central Africa, aviation safety has historically faced difficulties such as outdated air traffic control systems, inadequate pilot training standards, and infrastructural limitations. Now, as the continent begins to see an influx of newer, more connected flyers, most of them armed with smartphones, this latest pilot message may have come at just the right time.

The video presents a candid account. The pilot doesn’t accuse or shame; he explains. He recalls a time when he was preparing to land and heard a piercing buzzing noise in his headset. This was not just a distraction; it made it difficult to hear crucial landing instructions from air traffic control. The culprit? Passengers’ mobile phones attempting to lock onto cell towers thousands of feet below. When multiple devices try this simultaneously, the resulting electromagnetic interference can penetrate the cockpit’s sensitive radio systems.

For many Africans, air travel is becoming more accessible. But with growth comes responsibility. Airlines, regulatory authorities, and passengers alike must acknowledge that flying is not just about boarding, reclining, and landing. It is about maintaining an invisible but intricate chain of communication between aircraft and ground, pilots and towers, machines and minds.

Unlike some parts of Europe or North America, where high-tech aircraft systems and advanced interference filters might absorb these issues with minimal impact, African aviation often operates on thinner margins. Air traffic control centers in several African countries are still upgrading to newer radio frequencies, which makes them more vulnerable to the sort of interference this pilot is highlighting. A buzzing sound in a pilot’s ear might mean missing a vital piece of navigational advice or being delayed in responding to sudden changes in runway assignments or weather conditions.

Education is key. While airlines announce the “airplane mode” requirement before takeoff, many passengers continue to ignore it. The perception that it’s just a rule based on outdated fear needs urgent rebranding. Instead of vague announcements, African airlines should invest in short inflight safety videos or briefings that explain how this small action directly protects the pilot's ability to communicate and land safely.

This isn’t about fearmongering. No one is suggesting that a single mobile phone will crash an aircraft. But as the pilot stressed, the risk lies in cumulative disruption. Ten, twenty, or fifty phones searching for a signal at once, especially on older aircraft or in countries with weaker shielding technologies, could turn into a dangerous distraction.

African civil aviation authorities should also view this as an opportunity. The viral nature of this video shows how social media can support safety messaging. Partnering with influencers, pilots, and aviation professionals on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube could allow the continent to better inform a new generation of travelers who are digital-first but aviation-unaware.

Whether flying from Lagos to Nairobi, Accra to Johannesburg, or Addis Ababa to Cairo, this is a reminder that safety in the skies isn’t just the pilot’s job. It’s a shared responsibility. Every passenger who switches their device to airplane mode becomes a small but important part of that system.

The message is clear: Africa's aviation future is bright, but only if all stakeholders, governments, airlines, and passengers, commit to understanding and respecting the technical ecosystem that keeps planes aloft. A buzzing sound may seem minor. But in the delicate symphony of modern air travel, even one wrong note can make a dangerous difference.