Delta Air Lines Announces Upgrade to its WiFi On Boeing 717 Fleet And Regional Jets

Delta Air Lines will expand its free Wi-Fi to 400-plus Boeing 717s and regional aircraft beginning mid-2024.

The rollout on the carrier’s smaller jets will be enabled by a new agreement with its connectivity provider Hughes, Delta announced on Wednesday. 

So far this year, Delta has equipped more than 600 domestic mainline planes with free WiFi as part of the Delta Synch initiative it began early in the year. 

Delta announced a new partnership with Hughes to bring streaming-capable connectivity to its fleet of regional jets beginning mid-2024.

According to the company’s website, each day, more than 115,000 SkyMiles Members connect to Wi-Fi to stream, shop, email, message, and more en route to their destinations — furthering Delta’s vision of connecting the skies.

Delta has also said it plans to introduce free WiFi on its widebody planes next year.

When asked what’s the most remarkable part about offering free Wi-Fi, Julieta McCurry, V.P. of In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity, said:

“The scale of our Wi-Fi initiative is a world first – no other airline comes close to what we are offering today across our fleet and operation. We’re talking connectivity at a truly unprecedented scale. It’s been a labor of love across teams at Delta, and I’m in constant awe of the engineers, developers, designers, product leaders, technicians, satellite providers – everyone responsible for bringing this complex project to life.

Delivering fast, free Wi-Fi requires a complex network of satellites that are utilized in just the right position at just the right time to keep our aircraft connected—that’s not an easy task. Our teams are working hand-in-hand with connectivity partners to ensure we do everything we can to offer a reliable and consistent experience no matter where you are headed on Delta.”