Many people are excited about the prospect of being able to use their laptops to connect to the Internet during airline flights. It can certainly provide a lot of convenience, particularly for business travelers who are interested in getting some work done while they’re on the plane. A number of airlines have decided to work towards meeting the consumer desire for in-flight wireless connections and are currently testing out how it will work in their planes. But some people are expressing concerns that Wi-Fi connectivity on planes poses some serious national security risks.

One of the main subjects of attack from this camp of criticizers is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. It has been reported that there are vulnerabilities in the system which leave the plan open to hackers. The problem is that connecting to the Internet requires that there be a connection to the navigation and control system of the plane. A sophisticated hacker could theoretically get into the control system through the wireless connection and take over control of the plane. The risk that this poses is obviously troublesome.

This is bad news for Boeing because it means that the new 787 might not get off the ground. Nobody wants the plane to fly if it’s causing a risk to passengers (and the rest of America). The company is working actively to get the problem remedied in order to avoid delays in launching the plane. Thus far, they say that the first flight (due sometime in March) will be on schedule.