Air India to become the first Indian airline to roll out Wi-Fi Internet connectivity services on board domestic and international flights.

• Wi-Fi will be available free of charge on the airline’s Airbus A350, Boeing 787-9, and select Airbus A321neo aircraft
• Nelco in partnership with Panasonic Avionics Corporation will provide the service to select Air India’s domestic flights

How In-flight Wifi Works?

• Multiple Wi-Fi antennas are located inside the aircraft cabin, which get signals from passengers’ devices. 
  • The signals are sent to an on-board server from these in-cabin antennae
• Technologies For providing in-flight Internet Connectivity: In-flight connectivity systems primarily use two kinds of technologies requiring special antennae and other equipment to be installed on the aircraft
• Air-to-ground (ATG) technology:
  • Working: An antenna is usually placed around the plane’s belly which picks up signals from the nearest tower on the ground or ground receiver, to provide connectivity on board the aircraft.
  • Limitation: The availability of nearby ground towers is the biggest limitation as network could break if the flight passes over water body, deserted land, or sparsely populated areas
• Satellite -based connectivity:
  • The Internet is transmitted to aircraft from ground stations through satellites using antennae mounted on top of the aircraft’s body.
  • Advantage: It offers wider coverage as it is useful in providing connectivity when the aircraft is flying over regions without ground towers.

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• The Flight and Maritime Connectivity (Amendment) Rules, 2024:
  • As per the new notified rules, in-flight passengers will be allowed to use internet services through Wi-Fi only after electronic devices are permitted for use in the aircraft ie. (after reaching  an altitude of 3,000 meters in Indian airspace)
    • The current safety protocols restrict electronic device use during critical phases of flight (takeoff and landing) and upto 3000meters to avoid interference with terrestrial mobile networks.
• Concerns: 
  • Lack of Encryption: Many in-flight Wi-Fi networks don’t use strong encryption standards, which can make it easy for hackers to intercept communications.
  • Rogue Networks: Malicious actors can create fake Wi-Fi networks that look legitimate, tricking passengers into connecting.
  • Malware: Rogue networks can deliver malware to your device while you’re browsing the internet.
  • Man-in-the-middle attacks: Hackers can intercept communication between your device and the network, gaining access to sensitive data.
  • Device Vulnerabilities: many travelers have unpatched systems with all ports and protocols enabled and listening, putting their devices at risk to attacks by other travelers.