Qantas has introduced in-flight WiFi on a Boeing 737-800 operating on domestic routes across Australia.
This launch begins a rollout across 80 Qantas aircraft, scheduled for completion by the end of next year. The onboard service uses satellite connections from Viasat and Nbn’s Sky Muster, delivering speeds reported to be up to ten times faster than many other providers.
With the new connectivity, passengers can stream services such as Netflix and Spotify; Foxtel and Stan are planned to be added in the coming weeks. The airline has confirmed that voice calls will remain prohibited to preserve a comfortable cabin environment for all travellers.
Alan Joyce, CEO of the Qantas Group, said the technology solves a long-standing challenge for Australian domestic flights: “Inflight WiFi has been on our wish list for quite a while, but the sheer size of Australia meant it was hard to offer a service that was fast and reliable. The Nbn has made it possible and we’re really pleased to be able to tap into this service.”
The initial installation is on a single 737 while the system is fine-tuned. “The technology we’re using on-board this 737 is a generation ahead of what most airlines around the world have and there’s a fair amount of complexity involved. That’s why we’ve installed it on one aircraft for the first few months until we’ve finished fine tuning and are ready to roll out to the rest of the domestic fleet,” Joyce explained.
Qantas expects heavy usage on business-heavy routes such as Melbourne–Sydney and Sydney–Brisbane, where passengers are likely to rely on email and web browsing. The airline also recognises demand for entertainment during flights and has partnered with streaming platforms to provide a variety of content. “We also know customers want down time, which is why we’ve partnered with streaming services like Foxtel and Stan so there’s no shortage of things to help people tune out,” Joyce added.
The phased rollout will allow Qantas to monitor performance, address any operational issues, and scale the service across the domestic fleet. Passengers can expect improved connectivity on more flights as installations continue and streaming options expand.