In October 2023, Qatar Airways announced an exciting development when it comes to inflight Wi-Fi. However, at the time there were no details about the rollout schedule. There’s now a major update, as we now have a timeline, so let’s cover all the details.
Qatar Airways will offer free high speed Wi-Fi
Qatar Airways intends to introduce Starlink Wi-Fi, making this the largest airline in the world to collaborate with SpaceX on Wi-Fi. Not only will Starlink offer speeds of up to 500 megabits per second for gaming, VPN access, sports streaming, and more, but Qatar Airways intends to offer this Wi-Fi on a complimentary basis, with one-click access.
Qatar Airways is one of several airlines that’s working with Starlink on inflight connectivity. It’s also available on carriers like Hawaiian Airlines, and will soon be available on airBaltic and Air New Zealand.
Here’s how Qatar Airways CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer describes this development:
“This exciting collaboration with Starlink is a testament to our customer-first mindset and commitment to elevating our passengers’ experience to unprecedented heights, as we continue furthering our innovative offerings to meet and exceed passengers’ expectations throughout their journey with Qatar Airways.”
For context, Qatar Airways’ fleet is currently primarily outfitted with Inmarsat’s GX aviation technology, which the airline refers to as “Super Wi-Fi.” This typically costs $10 for a flight, with no data caps. Some of Qatar Airways’ other aircraft have OnAir Wi-Fi, which is quite slow.
Qatar Airways’ Starlink Wi-Fi rollout schedule
Up until now, we’ve known almost nothing about the actual rollout schedule for Starlink Wi-Fi on Qatar Airways, though that has finally changed, and we should see the first Qatar Airways aircraft with Starlink Wi-Fi flying before the end of the year.
Specifically, by the fourth quarter of 2024, three Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will be fitted with Starlink. Then the plan is for Qatar Airways to install Starlink throughout its fleet over the next two years. The way the press release is written suggests this will happen within two years from now (so let’s call it May 2026), though I wouldn’t be surprised if the airline really means two years from when the project starts (which would be late 2026).
It’s exciting to think that Starlink Wi-Fi could be installed so quickly. On the one hand, that seems like an ambitious timeline, given the variety of aircraft that Qatar Airways flies, and each jet requires a different certification. On the other hand, installing Starlink is one of the easier aircraft projects out there, and it helps when the government owns the airline and does the certifying. 😉
Bottom line
Qatar Airways plans to introduce SpaceX’s Starlink Wi-Fi. Not only should this mean we’ll see some very high speed Wi-Fi, but Qatar Airways also intends to offer this on a complimentary basis. This will be a very nice competitive advantage for Qatar Airways when it’s rolled out. You can expect the first 777s to feature Starlink by late 2024, and all aircraft to feature it within two years.
What do you make of Qatar Airways introducing free Starlink Wi-Fi?
