Delta Air Lines experienced a temporary disruption on a flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta due to an unauthorized Wi-Fi network appearing onboard. The crew promptly shut down the internet service to address the issue.

Delta’s Response

Delta confirmed that its systems were not hacked, including the in-flight Wi-Fi. The airline released a statement ensuring that no aircraft operating systems were affected. “Safety of flight was never in question and no aircraft operating systems were affected,” the airline stated.

We are fully investigating to gather a complete set of facts, which will take time. We will partner with federal law enforcement and aviation regulators to ensure the incident is thoroughly investigated.

The airline expressed appreciation for the crew’s professionalism and the passengers’ understanding during the incident. Cabin crew members disabled the Wi-Fi functionality for about 30 minutes as the situation unfolded. No emergency was declared by air traffic control, and the flight continued to Atlanta.

Concerns and Traveler Advice

This unusual event has raised questions about Wi-Fi security on airplanes. Lee Abbamonte, a California-based travel expert, noted that seeing an unauthorized network on a commercial flight is uncommon. Travelers should pay close attention to which network they connect to.

Social media posts suggested a rogue network called “Delta WiFi Fast” appeared onboard and mentioned that several passengers had attended a cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas. Abbamonte believes passengers on flights are vulnerable due to being a captive audience. He advised travelers to connect only to the Wi-Fi network identified by the airline.

I think the airlines need to make an announcement, like when the flight attendants go over the safety demonstration, they should add which is the official Wi-Fi network to join and caution against others.

Abbamonte stated that Delta’s action to temporarily disable the Wi-Fi network was an appropriate response. Despite the incident, he remains comfortable with connecting to Wi-Fi while flying, provided travelers ensure they connect to the correct network.

Kelly McGreal is a production assistant with the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.