Delta Air Lines, which has offered free mobile messaging to passengers since 2017, said it will offer free Wi-Fi on select flights as part of a trial program.

The Atlanta-based airline will offer free Wi-Fi on 55 domestic flights a day for a two-week period starting May 13. The pilot program will be available to all passengers on the flights and will encompass a mixture of short-, medium-, and long-haul flights.

“Delta believes it should be free when flying,” said Ekrem Dimbiloglu, the airline’s director of onboard products, referencing Wi-Fi.

Dimbiloglu said that the move to free Wi-Fi will require several pilot phases given that it is a “highly complex program.”

The carrier will offer customers access to e-mail and the Web as well as support for various messaging services as part of the trial. It will not offer access to streaming media, however.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)