Qantas pushes back international WiFi to 2025

Qantas will miss its promised ‘end of year’ debut of WiFi on international flights due to technical issues with satellite provider Viasat.

Although installation of the necessary hardware to the Qantas fleet is proceeding on schedule, beginning with Airbus A330-200 jets which mainly fly into Asia, Qantas isn’t yet able to activate the fast free WiFi service planned “from December this year.”

“The fitout of our A330 fleet with the necessary WiFi hardware is on track, and we are working with our technology provider to make this available for customers on international flights from late January 2025,” a Qantas spokesperson tells Executive Traveller.

Most of Qantas' domestic fleet – including the Boeing 737, Airbus A330-200 and A220 jets – are already equipped with a link to the NBN Sky Muster satellite network, which has a coverage footprint focussed on Australia and delivers average connection speeds of 10-15Mbps.

When those planes are assigned to international routes, the SkyMuster system provides WiFi only when the aircraft are over Australia; once your flight leaves the Australian coastline behind, you can wave goodbye to WiFi.

The footprint of the SkyMuster satellite which powers Qantas WiFi.

Once the Viasat kit has been installed and activated across the A330-200s, the Qantas 787s and A380 superjumbos will begin to see WiFi installed from the start of 2025, along with A330-300s which may be pressed into international service.

Of course, the ultra-long range Airbus A350s intended for non-stop flights from Sydney and Melbourne to London and New York will arrive from mid-2026 with WiFi already installed; the same will apply to the A350s and 787s replacing the aging A330s from 2027-2028.

Qantas says its nimble Airbus A220s already come equipped for both the Australian NBN and international Viasat satellites, with the capability to switch between networks depending where the aircraft is flying.

While the Viasat equipment works with the current crop of satellites, the biggest boost will come by tapping into the global ViaSat-3 constellation of three “ultra-high-capacity” satellites.

The first of these is already in place over North America, with two more – one each for the Asia-Pacific region and Europe, the Midle East and Africa – slated to launch by the end of 2025.

The red-tailed Qantas Dreamliners will soon offer fast free WiFi to North America, Europe and the UK.

Qantas says the international Viasat service “will offer enough bandwidth for every passenger to enjoy a fast and consistent connection” on par with domestic flights.

Viasat exec Don Buchman says Qantas’ international WiFi will match the domestic service for “the digital experiences it can provide, from live TV and sports to social media and streaming.”

However, Qantas is definitely playing catch-up to the raft of airlines offering free WiFi – most notably Qatar Airways, which is set to send a number of 777s equipped with super-fast Starlink WiFi to Australia in partnership with Virgin Australia.

Air New Zealand, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airline all offer free WiFi to varying degrees.

Jetstar will also introduce onboard WiFi on its international 787 fleet from 2026, as part of a refresh which will include new business and economy seats.

So what’s the WiFi experience like on the handful of Qantas international flights using the WiFi-equipped domestic 737s and A330-200s?

Connect to the Qantas Free Wi-Fi hotspot on your laptop, tablet or phone and click the big red Connect button.

After watching a short video advertisement, you’re online.

Getting online with Qantas' 'international' WiFi service.

We regularly clock download speeds around 10-15Mbps: that’s more than enough for streaming video or music, let alone basic email and Web browsing, and much faster than what’s currently available on the global satellite-based network of most airlines

(Things are different when you’re using a ground-based network, as is commonly the case in North America for example.)

Uplink speeds for Qantas WiFi tend to be clipped around the 1Mbps mark, so file uploads and cloud computing may need a little patience.

You can expect the cabin crew to make an announcement if WiFi is available on your flight, and if so, you can even begin using it while the aircraft is on the ground all the way until it moves beyond satellite coverage.