Qantas: free WiFi on flights to New Zealand

Qantas will continue its expansion of free inflight WiFi with flights to New Zealand coming online in the middle of this year.

Although Qantas launched fast free WiFi on domestic flights in April 2017, bringing the service to international flights requires the use of different satellites to the Australian Sky Muster NBN satellite.

The aircraft’s satellite tech also needs to be modified to work with both the international and Australia-wide satellites.

That work is already underway on the twin-aisle Airbus A330s which fly between Australia and South-East Asia, with the first upgraded A330 now keeping travellers connected all the way to Asian destinations and back.

Having launched domestic WiFi eight years ago, Qantas is finally catching up with WiFi on overseas flights.

Up next will be the workhorse Boeing 737s which are most often seen darting across the Tasman to New Zealand.

Qantas has targeted the middle of this year for the first 737 to offer trans-Tasman connectivity, which like the A330s will rely on what technology partner Viasat describes as “capacity from various owned and partner satellites in the region.”

As is the case on domestic and Asian flights, the Internet will be free on Qantas flights to and from New Zealand.

Rival Air New Zealand already offers free WiFi on all flights to Australia and indeed all international routes.

Qantas is currently upgrading its international A330 jets for WiFi all the way to Asia and back.

On the local front, Qantas says that WiFi take-up “averages around 75% on every flight, with some flights hitting above 100% as customers log on to multiple devices.”

“On our newest aircraft, the Airbus A220, the average uptake is more than 90% on each flight.”

The A220s already work with the Australian NBN and international Viasat satellites, switching between networks depending where the aircraft is flying – which will be put to the test when the A220 begins flying to Singapore in October 2025.

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.