Qantas is pushing deeper into the high-speed connectivity race, testing Viasat’s powerful new ViaSat-3 F3 satellite on selected aircraft operating across the Asia-Pacific region.
Early results suggest the Flying Kangaroo may finally be getting considerably more speed on its international Wi-Fi.
Passengers on recent Qantas services between Australia and Asia have reported download speeds of around 50–100Mbps while the airline trials connectivity through ViaSat-3 F3. Those figures are passenger-reported results rather than a guaranteed Qantas service standard, but they point to a sizeable improvement in the sort of international connectivity travellers have traditionally encountered at 35,000 feet.
For business travellers in particular, that matters.
Fast and reliable inflight Wi-Fi has moved rapidly from novelty to expectation. Emails, cloud documents, messaging and online collaboration are now firmly part of the modern traveller’s routine. The days when switching to aeroplane mode meant disappearing from civilisation for eight hours are becoming something of a historical curiosity.
Qantas already has a substantial connected fleet
Qantas is hardly new to inflight Wi-Fi.
The airline has offered free connectivity on domestic flights for years and has steadily expanded the technology across its fleet.
In July 2026, Qantas confirmed that it had installed Wi-Fi across its entire Boeing 787 fleet, bringing the number of Wi-Fi-enabled aircraft across its domestic and international operations to more than 130, including 36 widebody jets.
That makes an important distinction necessary.
The story is not that Qantas has suddenly discovered in-flight Wi-Fi. Rather, the significance lies in improving international satellite coverage, capacity and performance, particularly beyond Australia and the Tasman, where connectivity has historically depended heavily on aircraft, route and available satellite coverage.
The ViaSat-3 F3 trial could help close that gap.
A new satellite powerhouse over Asia-Pacific
Viasat formally placed ViaSat-3 F3 into commercial service on 31 August 2026, making its capacity available across the Asia-Pacific region.
The satellite had been launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on 29 April 2026.
ViaSat-3 F3 is designed to deliver more than one terabit per second of throughput capacity and incorporates advanced beam-forming technology allowing bandwidth to be concentrated where demand is greatest.
For airlines, that flexibility is particularly useful.
Instead of spreading available capacity uniformly across an enormous geographic area, satellite resources can be directed toward busy aviation corridors where hundreds of connected passengers may simultaneously attempt to browse, message, stream, or work.
The satellite operates in geostationary orbit roughly 36,000 kilometres above Earth and forms part of Viasat’s three-spacecraft ViaSat-3 constellation.
F3 entered commercial service across Asia-Pacific in August, while ViaSat-3 F2 entered service across the Americas on 17 September 2026, completing Viasat’s next-generation ViaSat-3 constellation.
Qantas passengers report 50-100Mbps
A Qantas spokesperson confirmed to Executive Traveller that the airline is currently testing ViaSat-3 F3 aboard selected aircraft operating Asia-Pacific routes.
Passengers on recent Qantas flights between Australia and Asia have reported reliable download speeds ranging from about 50Mbps to 100Mbps.
That deserves some perspective.
The reported 100Mbps figure should not be taken as a guaranteed speed for every passenger or flight. Actual performance can vary with satellite capacity, aircraft equipment, passenger demand, geography, and network conditions.
Nevertheless, 50–100Mbps aboard a commercial aircraft is serious connectivity.
It could move inflight internet beyond simply checking email or sending a WhatsApp message and toward the kind of connection passengers increasingly expect on the ground.
International consistency remains the challenge
For passengers, of course, satellite specifications matter considerably less than whether that little Wi-Fi symbol actually works when required.
Qantas currently says passengers aboard Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft can enjoy fast, free connectivity over Australia and on trans-Tasman services.
Beyond that region, the airline acknowledges that international connectivity can vary, although passengers may still be able to use services including email, messaging and social media.
That variability remains the issue Qantas needs to solve.
The airline has nevertheless made substantial progress. Its entire Boeing 787 fleet is now Wi-Fi enabled, while the Airbus A380 fleet is among the remaining major pieces of Qantas’s international connectivity rollout.
That’s why the ViaSat-3 F3 trial may be more important than the headline speed figure.
If the technology delivers dependable capacity across heavily travelled Asia-Pacific corridors, Qantas could move considerably closer to providing the sort of international connectivity passengers increasingly expect from a major full-service global airline.
A reported 100Mbps at cruising altitude certainly makes a handsome headline.
The bigger achievement will come when fast inflight Wi-Fi becomes so dependable that nobody thinks it remarkable.
By: John Alwyn-Jones – © 2026.
Read Time: 3 minutes.
Author Bio:
John Alwyn-Jones is one of those rare figures who can make the business of travel sound positively adventurous.
A lifelong communicator with the polish of a broadcaster and the curiosity of a journalist, he’s spent decades shaping stories and strategies across tourism, aviation, and the cruise world. He’s led from the front as CEO, director, mentor, and advisor, and still brings warmth and wit to every boardroom and microphone.
Known for his sharp insight into global cruise lines and destinations, John has an old-school belief in professionalism, tempered with the sparkle of someone who’s genuinely seen the world. He’s not just in the travel business; he’s made it an art form.
