El Al introduces WiFi to North American flights

The service will be offered on transatlantic to New York, Toronto, Los Angeles and Miami.

By YVETTE J. DEANE
Updated: FEBRUARY 17, 2019 13:41
An Israeli flag is seen on the first of Israel's El Al Airlines order of 16 Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets, as it lands at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel August 23, 2017. REUTERS/Amir Cohen (photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)
An Israeli flag is seen on the first of Israel's El Al Airlines order of 16 Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets, as it lands at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel August 23, 2017. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
(photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)
El Al introduced WiFi to North American flights on Sunday.
"We recognize the needs of our customers and are proud to present the best service for our flights," CEO of El Al Gonen Usishkin said. "We have worked hard to provide our customers with the most advanced and innovative WiFi system in the world of aviation."
The service will be offered on transatlantic flights to New York, Toronto, Los Angeles and Miami. The service will also be available for San Francisco and Las Vegas flights in May and June respectively.
The WiFi service will be using KA Band technology, which is reportedly the fastest in-flight WiFi. However, the WiFi will have to be purchased unless the passenger is a Club member.
WiFi is increasingly a common feature offered on airplanes and frequently uses satellite technology, where the plane connects to satellites, which send and receive signals to and from earth. These are the same types of satellites that are used for TV or even the military.