Delta CEO Ed Bastian announced the CES technology trade show. He said that by the end of this year, the airline will outfit more than 700 planes with high-speed, satellite-based broadband service from mobile.
The plan is to expand free WI-FI to international and Delta connection flights by the end of 2024. This service will use equipment from Viasat, a U.S.-based satellite broadband provider.
What Delta CEO say about Free Wi-Fi?
Ed Bastian told in an interview,”it’s always struck me that when we fly, we fly to connect, but when we are in the sky we disconnect.”
Many airlines are upgrading their services of internet access on their planes so passengers can stay connected or they can stream whatever they want to do on their electronic devices. But they have to pay for it. New York-based Jet Blue Airways already provides free Wi-Fi services to passengers. Delta announced puts it ahead of its largest rivals; American, United and Southwest.
CEO Ed Bastian later said, “I feel people want to be connected to the internet, and the fact that airlines cannot connect in the Aeroplan is something that I always felt we had to figure out, nothing that the rollout of $ 1 billion project was accelerated by the pandemic triggered shutdowns in 2020, when almost all o airlines were grounded.
What services will be provided?
Customers will need an account in delta’s SkyMiles frequent flyer program, which is free to join, to use the Wi-Fi services. There will be no limit on the number of devices passengers can connect to the inflight Wi-Fi.
Service will be provided to more than 500 planes from Feb 1.
Delta’s announcement at CES comes on the heels of southwest airlines cancelling 15000 flights around Christmas and leaving holiday travelers around the U.S.
This disruption started with winter storms and snowballed when the southwest’s ancient crew scheduling technology failed.
What Bastian said about the Rivals?
Bastian refused to comment on the rival’s issues but he said that Delta for many years has invested in its scheduling technology.
“and we are planning to improve the ability for teams to connect efficiently with the Aeroplan,” CEO Ed Bastian said.
