SLC will continue to be hub for Delta for another 20 years; airline to offer free Wi-Fi

SALT LAKE CITY — Delta Airlines and Salt Lake City International Airport will be partners for at least the next 20 years. The two sides agreed on a contract extension that will keep Salt Lake City as a major hub for the airline through 2044.

There is also an option to extend the airline’s lease for another 10 years after this contract expires to keep Salt Lake City as a Delta hub.

In September, Bill Wyatt, executive director for Salt Lake City International Airport, told the Salt Lake City Council that it’s the longest lease between an airline and an airport that he has seen.

Expansion of the Delta hub

The airport has plans for a $680 million expansion of concourse B. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the new deal with Delta will help with funding for the project.

When the entire airport expansion is completed, Delta will make up the entire concourse A. 

Additionally, the new deal with Delta means job security for the nearly 4,000 Delta employees in the state.

Delta flights make up roughly 70 percent of the outgoing flights from Salt Lake City International Airport.

Free Wi-Fi on Delta

Beginning Feb. 1, Delta will offer free Wi-Fi for most of its domestic flights. Additionally, the airline says Wi-Fi will be available on its domestic flights by the end of the year.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian says the airline has spent $1 billion in recent years to upgrade Wi-Fi technology. However, passengers will need to be members of the Skymiles program to gain access to the internet for free.

As it stands now, passengers must pay $50 a month for Wi-Fi on domestic flights and $70 a month on international flights. 

Mark Jones contributed to this article. 

Read more:

• Delta to begin paying flight attendants during boarding
• Delta Airlines flight experiences turbulence, injuring three passengers