May 6, 2016 – Delta has announced that it intends to increase its commitment to Gogo’s 2Ku in-flight wi-fi technology by at least 350 aircraft, bringing its total 2Ku commitment to more than 600 aircraft in its mainline fleet. According to Gogo, the dual Ku-band 2Ku technology provides consistent, uninterrupted inflight internet coverage nearly anywhere in the world, including over oceans, with speeds and bandwidth more than 20-times greater than Gogo’s air-to-ground technology. The capability of the systems means that passengers can stream video inflight, and later this yer, Delta also plans to launch IPTV on its 2Ku-enabled aircraft, giving customers the ability to watch live TV on their own devices.
“With 2Ku, Delta will be able to deliver the best inflight experience to its passengers wherever they fly around the world,” said Jon Cobin, Gogo’s executive vice president, global airline business group. “We know how important it is to Delta to bring this technology to passengers and we plan on getting it deployed on these aircraft as soon as possible.”
2Ku installation has already started on Delta’s B737-800 and A319 fleets, and additional fleets will be retrofitted with the new system so that by the end of 2016, Delta will operate more than 35 aircraft with 2Ku. Delta has completed installation of Ku-band satellite wi-fi on nearly all of its wide-body international fleet – including B747, B767, B777 and A330 aircraft as well as B757 aircraft operating on long-haul routes – and will be 100% complete by September 2016. 2Ku service will be offered on A330-900Neo and A350-900 aircraft when they enter Delta’s fleet in 2019 and 2017, respectively.
Delta operates the world’s largest wi-fi-equipped fleet, with more than 3,500 connected flights daily, including its entire fleet of 660 domestic mainline aircraft. More than 1,000 Delta aircraft, including nearly all Delta Connection two-class regional jets and 99% of its long-haul international fleet are equipped with in-flight wi-fi service, offering access to more than 370,000 customers per day.
2Ku was a runner-up in this year’s Crystal Cabin Awards. See HERE for more details.
