Instead of depening on tattered monthly magazines or downloaded videos for in-flight entertainment, Spicejet flyers will soon enjoy high-speed internet connectivity during their time in the air. Low-cost airline has announced that it will soon start to offer broadband internet onboard it newly-launched SpiceJet MAX aircrafts. According to the company, the new SpiceJet 737 MAX aircraft comes equipped with Satcom (Satellite Communication) to enable internet during flight.
“We are excited to take delivery of our very first 737 MAX 8. The induction of our first MAX is a huge milestone in SpiceJet’s journey. These new airplanes will enable us to open new routes, while reducing fuel and engineering costs, as well as emissions. The 737 MAX will dramatically reduce noise pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Passengers will benefit from a large number of premium seats and, for the first time in India, broadband internet on board,” SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh, said in a statement.
According to Business Standard, SpiceJet will join carriers like, JetBlue, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines to provide inflight Wi-Fi for free. Currently, airlines charge a fee for providing internet services. “In India, you cannot define a low-cost airline by the service provided. We are low-cost carriers because our cost of operations is low. If we can use that savings from the cost to better customer experience, it obviously works in our favour. We think there is a business model in providing Wi-Fi services free to passengers and earn money from advertisers instead of that, this will be one differentiating feature of the airline,” Singh was quoted as saying.
As per Singh, there are two models of charging WiFi on-board. One is to fund the cost of it internally and the other is to charge consumers. He says that the company is discussing to provide it complimentary and fund its cost through advertisement. The company has reportedly selected a service provider and expects to start offering the service from next month.
The announcement comes at a time when India’s Telecom Commission is deliberating options of allowing users to use mobile telephony and internet services onboard domestic flights in the country.
In May, Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan, said that calling and texting from aircraft will soon become a reality as the top regulator has approved in-flight connectivity, facilitating both voice and data calls and data surfing in Indian airspace. “We are expediting the process (to start) and within 3-4 months it should be ready. We will be operationalising this decision immediately," she said.