Alaska Air plans streaming-fast satellite Wi-Fi upgrades to E175 regional jets

The company said, "As Alaska Airlines elevates its regional flying experience with an all-jet fleet, we’re excited to become the first major airline to announce plans to offer streaming-fast satellite Wi-Fi on a regional jet aircraft. We have selected Intelsat’s newest satellite Wi-Fi technology to make that happen. Intelsat’s new system closely aligns with Alaska’s needs for our regional fleet. The new, faster service will utilize an electronically steered array which is a small, lighter weight antenna with no moving parts – making it easier to maintain in the unique regional environment. In an industry first, Intelsat’s new system will communicate with both traditional geostationary satellites and new low Earth orbit satellites. With an additional $25 million investment, this upgrade represents a major step forward in the travel experience for our guests, enabling higher speeds and more coverage in the air, particularly across areas in the state of Alaska. The new system will debut on Horizon Air, our sister airline, in early 2024 and roll out across our regional jet fleet, including on our partner SkyWest, over a two-year period. With nearly all our mainline fleet set to feature satellite Wi-Fi by this April – also installed by Intelsat – we’re on track to provide consistent streaming-fast Wi-Fi across our entire fleet by 2026."