Australian flag carrier Qantas
has revealed that its inflight WiFi on international services will not be available until next year. The airline already offers WiFi on domestic and select international routes, but the service will not be activated on the majority of long-haul flights until January.
When will WiFi be available?
Qantas is working with provider Viasat to outfit its fleet of sixteen Airbus A330-200
jets, which mainly fly into Asia, with the necessary hardware to support satellite-based WiFi services. Even though a number of the planes have already been retrofitted, the complimentary WiFi will not be available by the end of this month as initially planned.
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According to the airline, the necessary hardware on its long-range fleet has been installed during regular maintenance cycles. This process can take up to three weeks. Even though some of the planes have been fitted, the services will not come online until the satellite link is activated across the fleet, with a Qantas spokesperson telling Executive Traveller:
“The fitout of our A330 fleet with the necessary WiFi hardware is on track, and we are working with our technology provider to make this available for customers on international flights from late January 2025.”
That is not to say no international destinations have inflight WiFi available. Passengers on WiFi-enabled Airbus A330-200D or Boeing 737-800
aircraft bound for destinations including Bali, Singapore, and Manila can now access the internet while flying across Australia, but the service cuts out once they leave the continent.
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Which planes are getting WiFi?
The majority of Qantas’ domestic fleet is already equipped with WiFi thanks to the NBN Sky Muster satellite network, which covers Australia and has average connection speeds of 10-15Mbps. Qantas’ Airbus A330-200D, Boeing 737-800, and Airbus A220-300 flights have access to the internet, including QantasLink
flights operated by Airbus A220-300 aircraft.
The carrier’s long-haul fleet is being prepared for fast, free WiFi thanks to a partnership with global broadband company Viasat. The first international aircraft to be fitted with the latest Viasat antenna was an A330-200LR aircraft, registration VH-EBN. According to Qantas, the Viasat partnership was crucial to providing a common inflight Internet experience across its domestic and long-haul networks:
“We’ve been waiting until global satellite technology could deliver a similar quality connection to the one that Qantas domestic customers enjoy, even in areas of the world where it was previously impossible.”
Photo: Peterfz30 | Shutterstock
Once the Viasat kit has been installed and activated across the A330-200s, the airline will begin retrofitting its exiting Boeing 787
Dreamliners, Airbus A330-300s, and Airbus A380
Superjumbos “from the start of 2025”. For the A380s, the carrier must essentially put a hole in the aircraft’s roof to install the radome and antenna needed to create the WiFi network. For the 787s, which Qantas acquired later, the airline provisioned the aircraft hull itself with enough infrastructure to get a headstart on installing WiFi capabilities.
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The airline’s upcoming Boeing 787s and ultra-long-range Airbus A350s will come with WiFi compatibility upon delivery, with a spokesperson confirming:
“Our exciting new aircraft arrivals, including the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787, will also come equipped with Wi-Fi upon delivery, meaning you can keep the conversation going, the entertainment flowing, and your productivity soaring – no matter where you are flying to.”
Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying
The ability to have WiFi upon arrival is crucial for the upcoming Qantas Project Sunrise
program, which will see the Australian carrier connect Sydney with New York and London on flights lasting 20+ hours with the A350-1000ULR.
