INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY – NO MORE A LUXURY

Nowadays, people want to stay connected to the world no matter where they are. They need continuous access to E-mails, SMS, social media, etc. Therefore, in-flight connectivity, is becoming increasingly important factor for the passengers when choosing an airline. A survey showed that ~67% of passengers are more likely to rebook with an airline that has high-quality Wi-Fi. Approximately 74% of business travelers consider inflight Wi-Fi as a crucial factor while booking an airline. In view of this, Indian government has also recently permitted in-flight Wi-Fi services.

Global inflight connectivity market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.65% during the period 2018-2024 to reach USD 4,632.8 million by 2024. Gogo, Global Eagle, Panasonic, SITAONAIR, Immarsat, AirFi.Aero, Honeywell are major inflight connectivity solution providers. In-flight connectivity has now become a major differentiator and some airlines have even started providing free in-flight Wi-Fi services. It remains to be seen how Indian airlines fare against their global rivals.