Vistara starts onboard WiFi internet on its dreamliners

Indian airline, Vistara will soon offer Wi-Fi internet connectivity onboard international flights operated by its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, becoming the first Indian airline to do so. Vistara plans to soon introduce the service on its Airbus A321neo aircraft as well.

New Delhi: Vistara will offer inflight Wi-Fi internet connectivity onboard international flights operated by its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft that currently operate Delhi-London route from Friday onwards.

As an introductory offer, the service will be available free of cost to all Vistara customers for a limited period. Vistara plans to soon introduce the service on its Airbus A321neo aircraft as well.

"We are delighted to offer on-board Wi-Fi internet connectivity which takes our onboard travel experience to truly Global standards. We are also glad to be the first Indian carrier to be able to offer this service to our customers. We truly hope our customers enjoy this new edition as we continuously strive to surpass their expectations," said Vistara chief commercial officer Vinod Kannan.

The state-of-the-art wireless connectivity system by Panasonic Avionics on Vistara's Dreamliner allows passengers to access the internet on all Wi-Fi enabled mobile phones, tablets and laptops. Vistara customers can now stay seamlessly connected at 35,000 feet above the ground, send an email, access information, use social media, and more.

"During the limited period of the free offering, Vistara will gather information on system functionality and feedback on the overall customer experience to further fine-tune the service. The airline will announce the tariff plans of the service in due course," the airline added in a statement.

SpiceJet has also planned to provide onboard WiFi to its passengers on its B737 Max aircraft.

Notably, the Centre had given its not to introduce Wi-Fi on airlines in March. Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in its drafts rules, had stated that WiFi may be made available inflight after the plane reaches an altitude of over 3,000 meters or 3,000 feet.