February 22 2024  |  Connectivity & Satellites

Qantas to roll out Wi-Fi from Viasat on international flights

By PAX Tech Magazine Staff

Qantas' widebody fleet will offer high-speed Wi-Fi to passengers for free

Qantas Group has announced that it will retrofit its existing fleet of international aircraft with free Wi-Fi from Viasat. The service is set to roll out from the end of the calendar year.

The speed and reliability of Qantas’ domestic Wi-Fi service have driven average take-up rates of 75 percent, with some routes showing up to 100 percent uptake, the February 22 press release said. Now, the airline will offer the same level of inflight connectivity to passengers travelling on international routes.

The service will use technology from Viasat, allowing passengers to stream movies, TV shows and live sports inflight. Qantas’ A330, 787 and A380 fleets will progressively be retrofitted for connection to Viasat’s expanding next-generation satellite network.

The Wi-Fi availability inflight is expected to be available by the end of 2024, coinciding with the launch of a satellite covering Southeast Asia.

Jetstar will also introduce onboard Wi-Fi on its international widebody fleet from 2026, as part of its 787 cabin refresh.

In addition to inflight connectivity services, Qantas and Jetstar passengers will see a major upgrade across digital channels with a rollout of features in the Qantas app such as bag tracking, flight tracking and improved status updates. The multi-million dollar investment in technology updates over three years also includes an overhaul of the Qantas website from mid-2024 to make it more user-friendly.

The airline’s new widebody aircraft on order, 29 A220s, will also offer high-speed Wi-fi to passengers once they enter service.

“All of the investments we’re making are about supporting the great work our people do every day to deliver the best experience they can for our customers, and restoring pride and confidence in the national carrier,” said Qantas Group CEO, Vanessa Hudson.

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