American Airlines is exploring its options for the future of its inflight Wi-Fi, and has held discussions with Amazon regarding its Leo satellite-based connectivity.
In an interview with Bloomberg, CEO Robert Isom stated that the carrier is keeping its options open, even as several airlines have looked to Elon Musk’s SpaceX and its Starlink network.
“While there’s Starlink, there are other low-Earth-orbit satellite opportunities that we can look at,” he said. “We’re making sure that American is going to have what our customers need.”
American currently has Viasat and Intelsat high-speed satellite connectivity installed on 90% of its fleet. Viasat specifically falls short of the speeds provided by Starlink, especially as the airline moves to free Wi-Fi starting in January.
Isom noted that the airline has held talks with Amazon, but declined to add specific details.
Amazon Leo has seen delays, however, and doesn’t expect to have service until 2027. That is when JetBlue expects its first Airbus A321s to receive the system.
Related: Testing Out American’s New High-Speed Wi-Fi via Intelsat on the Embraer 175
United, Alaska, Qatar, WestJet, and several other carriers have sided with Starlink, a proven system offering some of the best inflight connectivity speeds in the world. However, American is willing to wait things out and see how the onboard Wi-Fi market develops.
“I do think that there’s going to be advancements and, as that comes, I think that there’s going to be better deals to be had,” Isom said.
Reliable inflight Wi-Fi has quickly turned into a vital piece of the onboard passenger experience in recent years. Many airlines have strived to install high-speed, reliable systems on their fleet, and American Airlines is no different. While the airline seems content with its current lineup of Viasat and Intelsat technologies, there’s no question that an upgrade in the near future is a topic of conversation.
Featured image by the author.
