In a significant milestone for the aviation industry in the country, Air India announced on January 1 that it is offering in-flight Wi-Fi services on domestic routes.
This makes the Tata-owned airline the first to offer in-flight Wi-Fi internet connectivity on flights within India.
Beginning January 1, 2025, all Air India flights operated by its Airbus A350, Boeing 787-9, and select Airbus A321neo aircraft will feature in-flight Wi-Fi, available to passengers at no additional cost during the introductory period.
In July last year, Vistara became the first airline to offer Wi-Fi services on international flights. Vistara was merged into Air India in November.
In November, the Department of Telecom stated that in-flight passengers will be able to use internet services through Wi-Fi only when electronic devices (mobile phones, laptops, etc) are permitted to be used in the aircraft after it attains an altitude of 10,000 feet in Indian airspace.
Air India said the deployment of Wi-Fi on domestic routes followed an ongoing initial programme on international flights operated by the Airbus A350, select Airbus A321 neo, and Boeing B787-9 aircraft to international destinations, including New York, London, Paris, and Singapore.
“As with the domestic offer, Wi-Fi is complimentary for an introductory period. Air India will progressively roll out the service on other aircraft in its fleet over time,” it added.
The in-flight Wi-Fi will also allow passengers to connect multiple devices simultaneously when above 10,000 feet.
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The airline said Wi-Fi services will enable passengers to “stay connected to the internet during their flights, and to enjoy browsing, accessing social media, catching up on work, or texting friends and family”.
