Some things, like Berlin’s new airport or picking a site for Lisbon’s, or the implementation of the EU’s new electronic border system, just take a long time, and that’s apparently true for Delta Airlines’ pre-pandemic promise of free WiFi across its fleet.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian told financial analysts that at this point the issue is adding connectivity to the rest of its fleet. The rollout began with Delta’s domestic fleet, which now has Viasat connection on its Airbus A320 family planes and its 737 and 757s. The A220, Boeing 717 and regional jets are still being added.
Bastian said that “We’ll have, largely, the transatlantic pretty well fully up and running by the end of summer, over the next couple months.” Testing just started on flights to France and should be ready before the Olympics, but will not finish the project on Asia-Pacific routes until sometime next year.
The plan was first announced in 2019, when about 60% of the airline’s mainline fleet was WiFi-equipped but not free, has moved forward both in hardware and cost, with the first roll-out of free in early 2023. Where available, it’s free to Delta loyalty members, but membership in that plan is also free.
