Delta Air Lines Bringing Faster Wi-Fi to Its Smaller Jets

Delta Air Lines will overhaul the internet connectivity on its regional jet fleet with Hughes Network Systems as the carrier bets that better Wi-Fi can help it command higher fares than rivals.

Hughes, part of Echostar, will install its satellite-based system on 400 Delta aircraft, including 74 Boeing 717s and more than 160 CRJ-900s. Those aircraft currently have an older Gogo system, which uses air-to-ground technology. The installations are to begin in mid-2024, the companies said Wednesday.

In February, Delta made a splash in the inflight connectivity industry by announcing its plan to deploy complimentary Wi-Fi across its fleet by the end of 2024. It has added Ka-band geostationary (GEO) satellite service from Viasat to most of its mainline single-aisle jets, and intends to equip its widebody fleet with Viasat’s service next year.

Viasat launched its newest, and largest, GEO satellite, ViaSat-3, in April. Three months later, the company disclosed a major problem with the satellite, which is now providing only 10% of its expected capacity. The company carried $420 million of insurance on the hobbled satellite and says it will file a claim by year’s end.

Delta declined to comment on whether Viasat or Starlink, the SpaceX satellite connectivity company, had submitted proposals for the regional jets.

Hughes said its system will provide reliable internet “even over busy airport hubs,” which often suffer from network congestion due to the number of aircraft concentrated in a small area.

The system is compatible with Hughes’ new JUPITER 3 ultra-high-density satellite, which the company launched in July to provide coverage for North and South America. The satellite, which was built by Maxar and is about the size of a school bus, is one of the largest commercial satellites in orbit.

The Hughes and Viasat service, provided by satellites in geostationary orbit, will provide a similar customer experience for web surfing and streaming, Delta spokesman Grant Myatt said. “We want it to be the same reliable, fast experience at streaming speeds” for both mainline and regional jets, he said.