Passengers of Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines will be able to go online on short haul flights by April 2017.
In the first quarter of 2017, the number of Lufthansa aircraft fitted with Internet access will rise to around 20, with the entire Lufthansa A320 fleet fitted the middle of 2018.
The re-fitting of all 31 aircraft at Austrian Airlines is planned to be completed before the end of April 2017. As well as Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines, Eurowings also has plans to bring the Internet on board its aircraft – estimated launch is to be by the end of the first quarter 2017. A total of 69 Eurowings aircraft are to be fitted with the systems by the summer of 2017.
Lufthansa passengers can gain Wifi access using their own mobile devices.
Passengers can choose between three different packages – FlyNet Message for EUR 3, FlyNet Surf for EUR 7 and FlyNet Stream for EUR 12 per flight.
Whilst FlyNet Message only allows the use of messaging services such as email, WhatsApp or iMessage, FlyNet Surf also enables passengers to surf the Internet. With the FlyNet Stream service package, streaming is also possible. The packages can be paid for by credit card or via payment services such as Paypal.
Harry Hohmeister, member of the Board of Directors of Deutsche Lufthansa AG and responsible for Hub Management, says:
“I am pleased that we can soon offer broadband Internet to our passengers on inner-European flights, giving them the chance to have a seamless digital experience. Since the launch of Lufthansa Flynet, it has been our goal to offer added value on board to our customers through innovation – and that also includes our Internet provision”.
Lufthansa Airlines is partnering with Inmarsat for its broadband satellite technology (Ka-band) and uses the Inmarsat Global Xpress (GX) network. Deutsche Telekom will be the Internet Service Provider for Lufthansa passengers.
Since the end of 2010, Lufthansa has again been offering broadband Internet access on its inter-continental flights. Since June 2015, FlyNet has been available on all current 107 Lufthansa long haul aircraft.
N.B. Image credit: Lufthansa
