MC EXCLUSIVE Indigo in-flight Wi-Fi on business class on its way; company in advanced talks with satcom firms

IndiGo had reported a profit of Rs 1,894.8 crore on sales of Rs 17,825.3 crore in Q4 FY24.

IndiGo is in the process of launching in-flight connectivity or Wi-Fi on its domestic business class and some international flights, having initiated advanced discussions with satellite communications (satcom) companies in India, executives aware of the ongoing discussions told Moneycontrol.

Officials told Moneycontrol that IndiGo was earlier planning to launch in-flight Wi-Fi as part of its 19-year celebrations around August 4 but the approval process is likely to take more time and the service will be launched close to November 2025.

"IndiGo is planning to first launch Wi-FI for its business class passengers on its domestic flights and then on international flights, as they will require more approvals," a senior airline executive told Moneycontrol.

India's largest airline, in terms of market capitalisation and passenger count, has invited a Request for Proposal (RFP) from satcom services providers to launch in-flight connectivity as it prepares to launch it on around 25 aircraft in 2025, the person added.

The airline has also sought Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) approvals.

"The dual class configured planes that IndiGo currently operates have in-flight Wi-Fi capabilities and currently IndiGo operates 23 such planes (Airbus A321). IndiGo has sought approvals from the DGCA to launch in-flight Wi-Fi on these planes as well as on its two Norse Atlantic damp-leased 787 Dreamliner aircraft," a senior government official told Moneycontrol.

Another industry executive said that Indigo had sent out an RFP last year and it is in the final stages.

'Financial viability a challenge'

The industry executive said that the financial viability of Wi-Fi on domestic flights is a challenge since flights are shorter and airlines don't have captive passengers for long routes, and airfare margins are tighter. "They were in discussions with connectivity companies to find out an optimal model," the industry executive said.

Sources said airlines in India is evaluating high-speed, in-flight connectivity and is talks with both Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) contenders like Starlink, OneWeb and Kuiper and traditional GEO (Geostationary Orbit) and ATG (Air-to-Ground) providers like Intelsat and Inmarsat-Viasat combine.

Indigo is in talks with satcom companies like Intelsat, Inmarsat-Viasat combine and Hughes Communications, which are working with VSAT companies like Nelco and BSNL, to offer in-flight connectivity (IFC) in India.

Why it's taking time

Sources said LEO satellite-based in-flight connectivity is still some time away as players like OneWeb, Starlink and Amazon Kuiper are still in the process of fulfilling security guidelines laid out by the Department of Telecommunications.

"Indigo will have to do a retrofit to install connectivity equipment for Wi-Fi in most of its existing planes. Retrofit means the plane has a downtime. Hence, it will take its own time. Their first plan is to enable blanket Wi-Fi on the new wide-body planes which are coming from Airbus. Then they will enable it on new narrow body planes and then retrofit on existing planes. Indigo has a plan for its entire fleet, including both existing and new planes," another industry leader told Moneycontrol.

An Instelsat spokesperson told Moneycontrol, “Intelsat has been a proud long-time partner with a number of APAC-based airlines, and we are in talks with several Indian airlines including Indigo. Going forward, our core priority will be to deliver seamless, high-performance connectivity at scale across diverse airline fleets in India, while providing flexible monetization options and operational value. We will continue our efforts to expand deployments of our multi-orbit hardware and software to facilitate IFC adoption by airlines, offering both line-fit and retrofit solutions, as well as ensure a consistent passenger experience.”

Emails sent to IndiGo and DGCA remained unanswered till the time of publishing. Inmarsat-Viasat and Hughes India didn’t respond to Moneycontrol queries.

In most cases the Inflight Connectivity (IFC) and Inflight Maritime Connections (IFMC) licensing or registration company takes approvals from the DoT and offer the service to the airline. Most satellite companies have IFC and IFMC approvals in place, along with technology- readiness to offer in-flight Wi-Fi service in India.

Last year, IndiGo had launched new trial entertainment content to passengerss, using the IndiGo app. The trial was conducted on the Delhi-Goa sector from May 1, 2024, for three months.

The airline had upgraded its app to provide options to watch popular blockbuster movies, TV shows, access moving maps, games, as well as tune into a wide range of music genres, while cruising at 30,000ft.

Air India leads the way

Air India has rolled out Wi-Fi internet connectivity services from January 1, 2025, on board domestic and international flights operated by Airbus A350, Boeing 787-9 and select Airbus A321neo aircraft.

This makes Air India the first to offer in-flight Wi-Fi internet connectivity on flights within India, enabling travellers – flying for leisure or business – to stay connected to the internet during their flights, and to enjoy browsing, access social media, catching up on work, or texting friends and family.

Accessible on Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones with iOS or Android operating systems, the in-flight Wi-Fi will also allow guests to connect multiple devices simultaneously when above 10,000 feet.

The deployment of Wi-Fi on domestic routes follows an ongoing pilot programme on international services operated by the Airbus A350, select Airbus A321 neo and Boeing B787-9 aircraft serving international destinations, including New York, London, Paris and Singapore. As with the domestic offer, Wi-Fi is complimentary for an introductory period. Air India will progressively roll out the service on other aircraft in its fleet over time.