US Airways has revealed plans to offer in-flight Wi-Fi across its entire domestic fleet "within the next couple of years", and said it is likely to announce its choice of provider - either Gogo or Row 44 - before the end of 2011.
For about a year-and-a-half the carrier has offered Gogo's domestic air-to-ground (ATG)-supported connectivity service on its 51-strong Airbus A321 fleet. It recently confirmed its intent to fit new-delivery Airbus narrowbodies with Gogo.
However, during a recent presentation at the Citigroup 2011 North American Credit Conference, US Airways executive vice-president and CFO Derek Kerr said the carrier is studying Gogo for domestic fleet-wide equipage in addition to Row 44, whose system operates over Ku-band satellites and is being deployed across Southwest Airlines' fleet.
While it "hasn't been determined" who will win US Airways' business, Kerr said: "I think the entire industry is going in that direction."
He added: "If you do not have that product on your planes, I think you'll be left behind."
Fellow Star Alliance member United-Continental recently divulged its plans for offering in-flight Wi-Fi fleet-wide, including on its long-haul, overseas flights. The carrier has picked two separate providers and systems - Panasonic Avionics' Ku-band system and JetBlue Airways subsidiary LiveTV's Ka-band system in a bid to be fully equipped by 2015.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
