Good News For Indian Fliers: Airlines Will Offer In-Flight Wi-Fi Soon At These Expected Prices

Great news for Indian fliers. Airlines operating in India have been cleared to provide Wi-Fi services on domestic flights. The confirmation comes through an official gazette by the Union civil aviation ministry on Saturday.

The long awaited move marks the first of its kind service to the airline commuters in the country. As per the notification, "The Pilot-in-Command may permit the access of Internet services by passengers on board an aircraft in flight, through Wi-Fi on board, when a laptop, smartphone, tablet, smartwatch, e-reader or a point of sale device is used in flight mode or aeroplane mode."

Around a month before the confirmation came in, Tata group's NELCO had launched in-flight Wi-Fi services in India in partnership with Panasonic Avionics. The government had started handing out the licenses for this In-Flight and Maritime Communications (IFMC) back in December 2018, allowing the use of on-flight broadband internet services to the airlines operating in India.

(Representative Image: Reuters)

With the services set up, the airplanes will have to be equipped with the ability to provide Wi-Fi services on-board. Vistara seems ready for it, as the company¡¯s CEO Leslie Thng had confirmed last Friday that Vistara¡¯s first Boeing 787-9 aircraft will be the first plane in India to offer such a service.

The airline would also offer the in-flight Wi-Fi service on Dreamliners and Airbus 321 aircraft on international routes as well as over the Indian airspace, confirmed Vistara Chief Strategy Officer Vinod Kannan as per a report by PTI.

Interestingly, the newly allowed service on-board would be able to support both broadband as well as voice communication through the plane. Airlines would then have to choose as to which and how the services are to be provided.

Expected prices

A look at other airlines operating across the world gives us a hint at what the prices of in-flight Wi-Fi in India can be. American Airlines mentions it to be around USD 10 (~Rs 720) for domestic flights and anyone flying frequently can also opt for a pass for around USD 49.95 plus taxes (~Rs 3600+).

Some others like Virgin Australia offer the in-flight Wi-Fi service for free but apply charges on anyone needing a faster connectivity than the standard tier. This usually costs around ASD 11.99 (Rs 570), while going up to ASD 19.99 (Rs 940) for international flights.

So as and when airlines in India start offering Wi-Fi services on-board, commuters might want to be on a look out for the packages offered by them and opt for one for an uninterrupted connectivity, even in the air!