Qantas international passengers will soon be able to stay connected in the air with free Wi-Fi.
The Australian airline has promised to start expanding its ‘fast and free’ Wi-Fi to its international services by the end of this year.
Wi-Fi services launched on key domestic routes in 2016, but Qantas has taken almost a decade to introduce the popular feature on its long-haul flights – something many of its competitors have already done.
Travelers heading to Asia will be the first to be connected, followed by trans-Tasman and Pacific flights and finally European routes in the second half of 2026.
Qantas executive manager for product and service Phil Capps said the feature’s introduction was delayed while the airline looked for a high-quality global broadband service, which it has now found in Viasat.
Qantas will soon offer free Wi-Fi on international routes – something many of its competitors have already done
New Wi-Fi technology (pictured) will become operational on Qantas international flights at the end of this year
The partnership means fast and free Wi-Fi will be available on all Qantas routes, even those flying towards Antarctica to reach South Africa.
‘We have set a very strong benchmark with our domestic Wi-Fi offering’ Mr Capps said The Australian.
“We didn’t want to start performing strongly with international Wi-Fi until we were confident we could meet a similar benchmark.”
Viasat had an $11.34 billion merger with British satellite company Inmarsat last year, allowing the Qantas service to offer uninterrupted broadband on all routes.
Qantas’ A380 planes have also been more difficult to equip with the new Wi-Fi technology than the newer Boeing 787 Dreamliners, further delaying international plans.
Mr Capps explained that engineers “essentially cut a hole in the roof of the aircraft to install the Wi-Fi equipment” – a task made more difficult by the A380’s limited infrastructure.
The new A350 and B787 fleets will be Wi-Fi enabled when delivered to Qantas.
Travelers heading to Asia will be the first to be connected, followed by trans-Tasman and Pacific flights and finally European routes in the second half of 2026
Qantas executive manager for product and service Phil Capps said the new aircraft delivered to Qantas will come with Wi-Fi technology
“We’ve seen Wi-Fi become just part of everyday life for our customers on domestic flights, so it’s a fundamental expectation that it will be there and that they will use it in many different ways.”
The airline’s data shows that 38 percent of customers use Wi-Fi to surf the Internet during flights, with at least a quarter streaming video and between 15 and 20 percent streaming audio.
“The basic expectation of travelers in Australia is that they want to be connected all day, and we see that reflected in our usage,” Mr Capps said.
Don Buchman, Viasat’s vice president of commercial aviation, said his company is “excited to be working with Qantas.”