"Foreign Airlines Mostly Allow It"... Why Domestic Airlines Are Reluctant About Wi-Fi

Foreign Airlines First Introduced In-Flight Wi-Fi in 2004
Domestic Travel Agencies Show Cautious Attitude After Failed Adoption

Recently, while most foreign airlines support in-flight Wi-Fi, domestic airlines still show a passive attitude toward the service, leading to a growing service gap.

In-flight Wi-Fi is a technology that enables internet use by installing satellite data reception devices on aircraft where electronic device usage is prohibited for safety reasons.

Foreign airlines have long provided in-flight Wi-Fi services. The first to offer in-flight Wi-Fi was Lufthansa, the national airline of Germany. Lufthansa introduced the world's first in-flight Wi-Fi service in 2004, followed by Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Air Canada, and others, who also began offering in-flight Wi-Fi services.

In response, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines also implemented in-flight Wi-Fi services in 2005 through Connection by Boeing (CBB), a subsidiary of Boeing, keeping up with the times. Although the service was ambitiously launched, passenger demand was lower than expected at the time, and eventually, with CBB's withdrawal, the in-flight Wi-Fi service naturally ended.

Wi-Fi Service Shows Low Demand Due to Paid Model, Will It Finally Take Root This Time?

Domestic airlines have been reluctant to introduce Wi-Fi services unlike foreign airlines due to past failures in service establishment. Since in-flight Wi-Fi service was discontinued after just one year due to low demand and slow internet speeds, they remain cautious about reintroducing it.

However, as passenger demand for Wi-Fi services grew, Asiana Airlines reintroduced in-flight Wi-Fi in May 2017 by introducing the A350-900 aircraft deployed on long-haul routes. Currently, Wi-Fi usage prices are $11.95 for 1 hour, $16.95 for 3 hours, and $21.95 for unlimited access.

Later, in 2021, Air Premia, a hybrid (HSC) airline, entered as a latecomer. Passengers can purchase and use paid data plans onboard, consisting of four types: ▲e-Text (30MB), ▲e-Light (60MB), ▲e-Standard (120MB), and ▲e-Flex (300MB).

Korean Air has been providing international in-flight Wi-Fi services on short- and medium-haul international routes operated by Boeing B737-8 and Airbus A321-neo aircraft since June this year. The airline plans to expand the service to various aircraft types and all international routes in the future.

Jin Air, a subsidiary of Korean Air, completed registration as a telecommunications service provider with the Ministry of Science and ICT in July last year. However, other licensing procedures and tests remain pending.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.