LAS VEGAS (AP) 鈥 Delta Air Lines will provide free Wi-Fi service on most of its U.S. flights starting in February, CEO Ed Bastian announced Thursday at the CES technology trade show.
Bastian said by the end of the year, the airline will outfit more than 700 planes with high-speed, satellite-based broadband service from T-Mobile. It plans to expand free Wi-Fi to international and Delta Connection flights by the end of 2024. The service will use equipment from Viasat, a U.S.-based satellite broadband provider.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always struck me that when we fly, we fly to connect,鈥 Bastian told The Associated Press in an interview. 鈥淏ut when we鈥檙e in the sky, we disconnect.鈥
Many airlines are upgrading internet access on their planes so passengers can stay connected or stream entertainment on their electronic devices, but they usually have to pay for it. New York-based JetBlue Airways already provides free Wi-Fi service to passengers, but Delta鈥檚 announcement puts it ahead of its largest rivals: American, United and Southwest.
鈥淧eople want to be connected, and the fact that airlines can鈥檛 connect in the sky is something that I felt we had to figure out,鈥 Bastian said, noting that the rollout of the $1 billion project was accelerated by the pandemic-triggered shutdowns in 2020, when most of the airline鈥檚 planes were grounded.
Customers will need an account in Delta鈥檚 SkyMiles frequent-flyer program, which is free to join, to use the Wi-Fi service. There is no limit on the number of devices passengers can connect to the inflight Wi-Fi. More than 500 planes will have the free service as of Feb. 1.
Delta鈥檚 announcement at CES comes on the heels of Southwest Airlines canceling 15,000 flights around Christmas and leaving holiday travelers stranded around the U.S.
The disruptions started with a winter storm and snowballed when Southwest鈥檚 ancient crew-scheduling technology failed.
Bastian declined to comment on his rival鈥檚 issues but said Delta for 鈥渕any years鈥 has invested in its scheduling technology.
鈥淎nd we are continuing to improve the ability for crews to connect efficiently with the airplane,鈥 he said.
___
Koenig reported from Dallas.
