Air Canada now offering satellite internet services on international flights

International airline and Canadian flag carrier Air Canada has announced that it is now rolling out satellite internet service on international flights.

According to a June 7th, 2018 media release, passengers flying on Air Canada Boeing 777-300ER and Air Canada Rouge narrow-body aircraft can now access in-flight satellite internet provided by Gogo.

Wi-Fi prices start at $5 CAD on 777-300ER aircraft, until August 31st, 2018.

Additionally, the entire Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge wide-body fleet will be equipped with satellite coverage by mid-2019.

“The speed and reliability of Air Canada Wi-Fi will also make it an excellent productivity tool for business travelers, who will be able to keep in touch and work during their journey so they can stay up-to-date and arrive fully prepared for any meeting or event,” said Benjamin Smith, Air Canada’s president of passenger airlines, in the same June 7th media release.

While 777-300ER passengers will be able to use satellite internet, Air Canada and Air Canada Express passengers flying on Airbus A319/320/321, Ebraer 175/190 and Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft travelling within North America will be able to access Wi-Fi through a “ground-based system.”

The core difference between ground-based and satellite internet is latency. Whereas satellite service is considered high-latency — meaning it takes a long time for individual packets of data to move from a device to a server — ground-based services are low-latency.

In effect, this means that satellite internet services can often be slower than ground-based internet.

However, in the case of international flights — where airplanes often fly at around 35,000 feet — ground-based services are simply unable to connect to airborne devices. As such, satellite internet is the only feasible solution.

Passengers looking to find out if their flights support Wi-Fi can do so by visiting the Air Canada Wi-Fi website.

Source: Air Canada