Mystery Wi-Fi network aboard flight raises ‘unusual’ alarm about travelers’ information

A Delta Air Lines flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta on Monday, Aug. 10, was disrupted for a period of time after an unauthorized Wi-Fi network appeared onboard — prompting the crew to shut down the aircraft’s internet service.

Delta confirmed that none of its systems were hacked, including the in-flight Wi-Fi, and that no aircraft operating systems were affected, Delta said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“Safety of flight was never in question and no aircraft operating systems were affected,” Delta said.

“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 said. 

“We thank our crew for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding.”

As the situation unfolded, cabin crew members turned off the aircraft’s Wi-Fi functionality for about 30 minutes, according to Delta.

A Delta Air Lines flight takes off from JFK Airport on Aug. 24, 2019. Getty Images

No emergency was declared by air traffic control. The flight continued on to Atlanta.

The unusual incident has raised questions about what travelers should watch for when connecting to Wi-Fi thousands of feet in the air.

California-based travel expert Lee Abbamonte told Fox News Digital that seeing an unauthorized network on a commercial flight is uncommon, and that travelers should pay close attention to which network they select.

“I think that the unauthorized network appearing on a commercial flight is pretty unusual,” Abbamonte said. “I’m hoping this is not a sign of things to come.”

Social media posts about the incident claimed a rogue network called “Delta WiFi Fast” appeared onboard.

The posts also said several passengers onboard had attended a cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas.

Abbamonte said that when passengers are on a flight, it’s easy to get confused about networks.

“I think the passengers are vulnerable on an airplane because they’re a captive audience,” he said.

Delta planes sit on the tarmac at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Greoup via Getty Images

He encouraged travelers to connect only to the Wi-Fi network identified by their airline.

He also said carriers could help by making the correct network name clear to passengers.

“I think the airlines need to make an announcement. When the flight attendants go over the safety demonstration and all that stuff — they should add that for this particular plane route, this is the official Wi-Fi network that you should join and don’t join any others,” Abbamonte said, expressing his opinion.

He also said he believed that Delta’s decision to temporarily disable its Wi-Fi was an appropriate response while the crew dealt with the situation.

Despite the incident, Abbamonte said he would still feel comfortable connecting to Wi-Fi while flying.

“I would just double-check to make sure you’re on the right network,” he said.