Inflight WiFi: How airlines provide internet at 35,000 feet
December 7, 2025
In-flight WiFi has gone from a novelty to a near-essential service, with passengers expecting to stream, message and even join video calls while cruising miles above the Earth. But how do airlines actually deliver broadband connectivity at 35,000 feet?
Let’s explore how in-flight connectivity works, the systems that power it, how the service has evolved over three decades, and what the future holds for sky-high WiFi.
What powers in-flight internet?
Airlines provide internet through specialised radome antennas installed on the fuselage, which can receive signals from different systems. There have been two core technologies powering connections: satellite connectivity and air-to-ground (ATG) networks. Some airlines have hybrid services, switching between satellite and ground-emitted signals.
Unlike home connections, which are based on signals between two stationary objects (a cable or tower and a fixed home router), the services providing WiFi connections to airlines must keep up with an object moving through the sky at great speed. It’s no mean technological feat.
Satellite-based connectivity
For satellite WiFi, the antennas mounted on top of the aircraft lock onto orbiting satellites at different altitudes. These satellites relay data between the aircraft and a gateway connected to the global internet. Satellites have distinct advantages over ground infrastructure:
- They work virtually anywhere in the world (over oceans, and deserts where there is no ground infrastructure), which makes them ideal for long-haul and transoceanic routes
- They use high-throughput Ku-band and Ka-band satellites
The system routes data through an onboard modem and router, creating a cabin-wide WiFi hotspot fed by a link which could be many miles away.
Satellites can be in three possible orbits: GEO, MEO, and LEO
GEO (geostationary earth orbit) satellites are positioned about 35,786 kilometres (22,236 miles) above the Earth’s equator. Their altitude matches Earth’s rotation period, making the satellite appear stationary in the sky.
They can provide continuous coverage of a fixed region, and are often used for weather monitoring and telecommunications. Because of their orbit, their coverage area is broad, but it’s not global. As aircraft fly around the world, they can switch from one satellite’s coverage area to another, though brief interruptions can occur during the switch.
The altitude of GEO satellites causes some delay to data transmissions, known as latency. The data signal travels at the speed of light, which, from that altitude, can lead to around a 500-millisecond delay between transmission and reception. While a half-second delay may not seem like much, it can affect services such as content streaming and live video communication.
MEO (mid Earth orbit) satellites are closer to the ground, generally at altitudes between 18,000 and 24,000 km. They can also transmit signals to aircraft, and because they are closer to Earth, the latency is shorter, between 100 and 150 milliseconds. The MEO constellation requires more satellites to cover the globe.
LEO (low Earth orbit) satellites are closest to Earth, orbiting at altitudes between 300 and 2,000 km. This results in very low latency (around 25 milliseconds), putting them on par with what passengers experience on their home internet connections. Because the LEO satellite coverage area is narrower, larger constellations of satellites are required to ensure seamless global coverage.
Airlines have gravitated to satellite-based WiFi
Many airlines have signed contracts with satellite service providers that operate satellites in one or more of these orbits, aiming to provide WiFi that works seamlessly for their passengers. Still, some services are notably better than others for high-data-demand activities like live gaming and content streaming.
All satellite services are expensive to supply, but airlines offset the costs either through advertising revenue, retail offers, or by encouraging users to join their loyalty programs.
Air-to-Ground (ATG): cheaper and faster, but limited to overland routes
ATG systems operate like airborne mobile networks. Ground-based towers beam signals upward, and aircraft-mounted antennas receive them. It functions similarly to a mobile device, connecting to cell towers.
However, the service only works over land. There is lower latency compared to traditional satellites, but limited total bandwidth
Gogo’s ATG network, launched in the US in 2008, pioneered the mass adoption of in-flight WiFi, though capacity limits led to inconsistent speeds on busy flights.
From seatback phones to high-speed streaming: A timeline of in-flight connectivity
In-flight connectivity has evolved dramatically over the past three decades, from expensive phone calls to free video conferencing.
1990s — Pre-internet communication experiments in the skies
Before internet access existed onboard, airlines offered seatback phones and text-based messaging services. Airfone pioneered the service in the 1970s, but seat-back phones didn’t become ubiquitous until the 1990s.
Still, calls were costly, and the sound quality couldn’t compete with cabin noise, which made long conversations awkward. The passenger uptake was poor, and Airfone ultimately failed as WiFi began to take off.
2001–2006: Boeing Connexion: The first real internet service in the sky
Boeing launched Connexion by Boeing, using large Ku-band satellite antennas that enabled true broadband on aircraft. The service was good, and taken up by American Airlines, Delta, United and Lufthansa among others. The timing of the service launch, coinciding with the attacks of September 11, was unfortunate. Airlines struggled, and Connexion did too.
While technologically successful, Connexion was ultimately shut down in 2006 due to high costs, heavy equipment, and limited passenger demand for in-flight WiFi at the time. However, Connexion proved that global airborne WiFi was feasible.
2008–2012: ATG networks make WiFi widespread
By this time, daily use of WiFi had increased significantly, and passenger expectations for staying connected while flying had risen. The US saw rapid adoption of in-flight internet thanks to Gogo’s ATG network.
By 2011, major carriers like Delta, American and United offered onboard WiFi fleetwide.
However, speeds were modest, and coverage was restricted to land routes.
2012–2016: Satellite connectivity takes over
The industry shifted toward satellite systems for higher capacity and global reach.
Ku- and Ka-band services from Panasonic, ViaSat, Inmarsat and Global Eagle transformed the onboard experience.
Passengers could now stream video, use cloud services and make VPN connections. JetBlue even introduced free satellite WiFi in 2013 — an industry first.
2016–2020: Streaming becomes normal at 35,000 feet
The radome antennas installed on aircraft became lighter and more aerodynamic, while high-throughput satellites increased capacity. Higher-bandwidth 2Ku services and Ka-band solutions spread rapidly.
Long-haul airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Lufthansa adopted advanced satellite systems capable of supporting hundreds of users simultaneously.
2020–2024: Airlines begin offering fast, free WiFi
Connectivity transitioned from a premium add-on to a core passenger expectation and airlines adapted.
- Delta began offering free Wi-Fi to loyalty members
- United and American upgraded their fleets to higher-speed systems
- JetBlue continued offering free internet access across its entire fleet
Satellite operators also expanded their networks, and SpaceX’s Starlink entered the aviation market with an ultra-low-latency LEO satellite service.
2024–2025: The LEO satellite era begins
Low-earth-orbit satellites, operated by providers including SpaceX’s Starlink, Eutelsat’s OneWeb, and Amazon Kuiper, are dramatically changing the in-flight connectivity market.
They offer latency below 50 milliseconds and more bandwidth per aircraft, resulting in significantly better performance for video calls, gaming, and cloud applications.
Many airlines have now announced they plan to adopt Starlink LEO-based WiFi, though JetBlue has notably set another first by selecting Amazon Kuiper.
How in-flight WiFi performs today
More aircraft connections can now support HD streaming, live video conferencing, VPN, cloud apps, as well as messaging and web browsing.
Performance varies depending on the satellite network used, whether the aircraft has a modern electronically steered antenna, how many passengers are online at any given time, and whether the flight path crosses oceans or regions with limited coverage.
What’s Next? The future of in-flight connectivity
As networks grow denser, airlines will add redundancy, making in-flight connectivity as reliable as home broadband. The next advance will be multi-orbit systems with aircraft antennas that dynamically switch between GEO, MEO, and LEO satellites, selecting the best available signal.
Improved WiFi can also help connect the cabin for better passenger services, including cabin sensors that connect with passenger devices and crew devices to enable seamless service onboard. Passengers wanting a beverage refill may soon only need to tap their phone and specify what they’d like to drink, instead of reaching for the overhead call button and waiting. Aircraft connections also provide critical operational advantages, including aircraft health monitoring and predictive maintenance systems.
Free WiFi is now a standard service expectation, and most major airlines will likely offer free connectivity, either paid for through advertising, sponsorships, retail, or loyalty-based programs.
Internet access in the skies has evolved from clunky seatback phones and expensive satellite experiments into a fast, global network capable of supporting real-time communication and streaming at cruise altitude.
What began as a luxury is now a basic passenger expectation, and airlines will likely continue improving in-flight WiFi as technology advances.
Featured Image: Alaska Airlines
