Air France has become the latest airline to announce plans for free inflight wifi.
The flag carrier is partnering with SpaceX’s Starlink to roll out high-speed inflight connectivity, with the first aircraft expected to benefit from the free service from next year.
Air France said that “over time, this wifi service will be made available on board all the airline’s aircraft, replacing the current offer”.
The service will be free of charge across all cabins, with passengers able to connect through their Flying Blue loyalty account.
Air France said customers would be able to stream content and play games online through the new service, with the ability to connect several devices simultaneously.
During the transitional rollout period aircraft not yet equipped with the Starlink service will continue to offer the airline’s existing paid-for wifi packages, which remain free for Flying Blue Ultimate members and La Première customers.
There’s no doubt 2024 has been a turning point in airlines moving towards free inflight wifi provision.
The Air France news follows this month’s announcement by United Airlines, which also plans to roll out free Starlink-powered inflight wifi across more than 1,000 mainline and regional aircraft from next year.
Meanwhile Delta is in the process of rolling out free wifi to all passengers in partnership with T-Mobile, with the first long-haul routes going online over the summer.
Other carriers which have announced plans for free inflight wifi this year include Turkish Airlines and Qantas, while Cathay Pacific recently extended its free wifi service to business class customers, with passengers in all cabins set to benefit from free access later this year.
