Delta Air Lines Selects Hughes In-Flight Connectivity to Elevate the Wi-Fi Experience on Regional Aircraft

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Nov 01, 2023, 07:00 ET

Satellite solution enables Delta passengers with fast, free Wi-Fi, gate to gate

GERMANTOWN, Md., Nov. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), an EchoStar company (Nasdaq: SATS), today announced that Delta Air Lines has selected the Hughes In-Flight connectivity solution to power passenger Wi-Fi service on more than 400 Boeing 717 and regional jets serving North America. Designed for commercial aircraft, the weight-optimized, high-performance aeronautical solution combines the advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning powered Hughes In-Flight management system with a multi-orbit antenna and Hughes JUPITER™ Ka-band satellite capacity to deliver reliable in-flight connectivity (IFC) even over busy airport hubs. This solution enables a consistent passenger IFC experience at scale across the entire itinerary.

"Hughes welcomes Delta and appreciates their collaborative approach to enabling an enhanced connectivity experience for their regional passengers," said Reza Rasoulian, vice president, Hughes. "Travelers expect a reliable Wi-Fi experience wherever they go, including in the air; the Hughes In-Flight connectivity solution enables Delta to meet that expectation with fast gate-to-gate connectivity."

"Delta is committed to delivering a reliable Wi-Fi experience to all our passengers, including those flying on our regional carriers," said Glenn Latta, managing director, In-flight Entertainment and Connectivity, Delta. "Our partnership with Hughes to create a low-weight, high-capability, gate-to-gate solution for our regional fleet brings us ever closer to fleet-wide connectivity at the speed and reliability our customers expect and unlocks our ability to elevate the experience further in the years to come."

The program is already underway and on schedule with initial installations expected to begin in mid-2024.

Capable of operating on JUPITER-enabled Ka-band high-throughput satellites around the world, Hughes In-Flight supports seamless roaming across JUPITER-driven satellites. The solution is forward-compatible with the Hughes JUPITER 3 ultra-high-density satellite, the largest commercial communications satellite ever built, which launched in July and will enter service later this year. It is also compatible with additional Ka-band satellite systems, providing airlines an onramp to even wider coverage and lower latency services as they come online. Globally, JUPITER System technology remains the de facto standard for satellite connectivity with proven performance.

For more information about the Hughes In-Flight connectivity solution and the full suite of Hughes satellite solutions for in-flight connectivity, visit www.hughes.com/InFlight.

About Delta Air Lines
Through the warmth and service of the Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) people and the power of innovation, Delta never stops looking for ways to make every trip feel tailored to every customer. More than 90,000 Delta people lead the way in delivering a world-class customer experience on over 4,000 daily flights to more than 280 destinations on six continents, connecting people to places and to each other.

About Hughes
Hughes Network Systems, LLC, an EchoStar (Nasdaq: SATS) company, provides broadband equipment and services; managed services featuring smart, software-defined networking; and end-to-end network operation for millions of consumers, businesses, governments, airlines, and communities worldwide. The Hughes flagship internet service, HughesNet^®, connects millions of people across the Americas, and the Hughes JUPITER™ System powers internet access for tens of millions more worldwide. Hughes supplies more than half the global satellite terminal market to leading satellite operators, mobile network operators and military customers. Hughes products and services have helped bring in-flight video and broadband to thousands of aircraft for over twenty years. A managed network services provider, Hughes supports approximately half a million enterprise sites with its HughesON™ portfolio of wired and wireless solutions. To learn more, visit www.hughes.com or follow HughesConnects on Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Hughes Network Systems, LLC