Qantas has announced that it will be bringing forward its rollout of WiFi to international services. The current plans see the first aircraft to be fitted out with the new capability to be in the air by the end of 2024.
Over 2024, Qantas will be retrofitting its international fleet this year. While the first of the aircraft will have WiFi capabilities in March, it won’t be available for use until later in the year.
Which Aircraft?
According to Qantas, it will progressively retrofit its A330, B787, and A380 aircraft. The first aircraft to receive the upgrade will be the A330-200LR aircraft. During 2025, work will begin on adding the capability to its B787, A380 and A330-300s fleet.
New aircraft currently on order, including A350 and B787 fleets, will be Wi-Fi capable when delivered.
The system
The service will tap into the latest technology from global broadband services provider, Viasat. Viasat will be launching a new satellite covering South East Asia, hence the timing of the system becoming available.
The current state
At present, passengers on flights into South East Asia enjoy WiFi for part of the trip. This is available on aircraft that can use the domestic SkyMuster network, provided by the nbn. However, this only works while you are in Australia, Once you are outside the SkyMuster reach, there is no WiFi available onboard.
