The Lufthansa Group has announced it will equip its short- and medium-haul Airbus A320 fleet with FlyNet WiFi. Installation work is scheduled to be completed by March 20 for the company’s A320 aircraft.
By April, 31 Austrian Airlines aircraft will also offer the service, and by summer 69 Eurowings planes are expected to be online. The company plans for the entire A320 family to have WiFi capabilities by summer 2018.
To test the service and gather real-world usage data, Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines will offer free internet access on the first 10 participating aircraft during a trial phase in the first quarter. After the test period concludes, WiFi access will be paid and available in three tiers:
- FlyNet Message — €3: access for email and messaging apps such as iMessage and WhatsApp.
- FlyNet Surf — €7: full web browsing for the duration of the flight.
- FlyNet Stream — €12: includes browsing and the ability to stream video.
Passengers will be able to purchase WiFi packages using credit or debit cards as well as popular online payment services like PayPal. The tiered pricing lets travelers choose a plan based on their needs, whether they require only messaging, general browsing, or streaming-capable bandwidth.
By rolling out FlyNet across its A320 fleet, the Lufthansa Group aims to improve passenger connectivity on short- and medium-haul routes while collecting usage insights during the trial to refine service performance and pricing. The company’s phased approach—starting with a limited free trial and expanding across partner airlines—should help ensure a smoother implementation and better in-flight experience as more aircraft come online.