Lufthansa group upgrades 150+ aircraft with broadband internet

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Engage in conversations with your loved ones while soaring at an altitude of 10,000 meters, indulge in online shopping during your travels, or seamlessly access your company’s VPN high above the clouds – the future of air travel on European routes promises uninterrupted Wi-Fi connectivity for all passengers. The Lufthansa Group is set to enhance its short and medium-haul aircraft, with plans to equip over 150 Airbus A220/320 family planes (including A220, A319, A320ceo, A320neo, A321ceo, A321neo) operated by Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, and now SWISS.

The installation of this broadband Internet system will commence across all airlines in the fourth quarter of 2024 and is anticipated to be completed within two years. Following in the footsteps of Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, and Eurowings, SWISS will be the next airline in the Lufthansa Group to introduce in-flight internet for passengers on short- and medium-haul routes. Since 2017, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, and Eurowings have been offering broadband internet to passengers on many of their short- and medium-haul flights.

In a new development, Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines now offer unlimited free messaging to guests on aircraft already equipped with internet access. Passengers can freely send and receive messages on their smartphones or tablets throughout the flight. To access this service, passengers need to log into FlyNet with a Miles & More service card number or with an email address registered with the Lufthansa Group Travel ID. Additionally, the prices for other onboard internet packages, including the faster Premium access starting at just six euros, have been slashed by almost 50% since the beginning of the year.

Accessing Lufthansa Group Airlines apps and diverse services through the FlyNet portal of Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines, the Wings Connect portal of Eurowings, and the upcoming SWISS Connect portal is typically complimentary on all Airbus A220/A320 aircraft equipped with broadband Internet. Depending on the specific airline, travelers have the option to monitor their flight in real-time using the moving map, obtain details about connecting flights, employ the chat assistant for service-related inquiries, download electronic journals, explore the offerings in the Worldshop, or review the onboard menu, all without incurring additional charges.

Moreover, the onboard internet is utilized by crews for various tasks, such as optimizing flight routes during the journey, contributing to reduced fuel consumption and corresponding CO2 emissions. Viasat has been commissioned by the Lufthansa Group to provide the technology and service for equipping more than 150 additional aircraft. The collaboration between the Lufthansa Group and technology company Inmarsat, now owned by Viasat since 2015, has led to internet access on over 200 aircraft in the Lufthansa Group’s A320 family, based solely on a satellite connection (Ka-band). The newly equipped aircraft feature a hybrid technology called EAN (European Aviation Network), with Europe-wide coverage provided by an S-band satellite and additional capacity from Deutsche Telekom’s ground components, utilizing 4G LTE technology.

This technological advancement also underscores progress in sustainability, thanks to the smaller and lighter antennas compared to previous technology, reducing the overall system weight to less than 60 kilograms and significantly decreasing additional paraffin consumption and CO2 emissions.

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