Travelers increasingly expect seamless connectivity at 30,000 feet, yet in-flight Wi-Fi quality can vary quite a bit across airlines, according to Ookla’s 2025 analysis. Some airlines provide notably fast internet, while others struggle with slower speeds. Passengers looking for reliable connections should, therefore, choose carefully.
Leaders in the Sky
Hawaiian Airlines leads the pack, boasting a median download speed around 57.78 Mbps, plus a P90 rating (connections faster than 90% of the time) of 276.24 Mbps. Qatar Airways isn’t far behind with a P90 over 236 Mbps. These airlines both use SpaceX’s Starlink, leveraging low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites for reduced latency and improved data rates compared to geostationary (GEO) satellites. Spirit Airlines clinches third place with a P90 of 127.78 Mbps, cementing U.S. carriers’ strong showing in in-flight Wi-Fi performance.
European Airlines Struggle
European airlines, however, appear to lag. Swiss actually performs the best among them, landing in the top half with a median download speed of 28.39 Mbps and a P90 of 58.27 Mbps. Other major airlines—British Airways, KLM, and Air France, for instance—offer somewhat slower speeds, which is less than ideal, and higher latency. This makes things like video calls or online gaming pretty impractical. Lufthansa comes in last place with a dismal P90 of 4.14 Mbps, probably because they are still using Deutsche Telekom’s older LTE ground radio network, which is mostly available over Europe, but with restricted bandwidth.
Premium carriers like Japan Airlines and Turkish Airlines also disappointed in Ookla’s study, and unfortunately fell short of passenger expectations for high-end in-flight internet service. For many, the digital travel aspect ends upon boarding due to outdated tech which makes reliable access harder to come by.
A Shift Toward Modernization
The industry seems to be addressing these issues. Airlines such as United Airlines, for example, are switching to Starlink, hoping to offer free, high-speed Wi-Fi to their frequent flyer members soon. Advances like WLAN 6E are gaining ground too. Generally speaking, this technology promises greater bandwidth and reduced interference. These developments do seem to signal a broader movement toward faster, more stable connections up in the air.
Choosing Connectivity in 2025
With in-flight Wi-Fi now a must-have for many travelers, airlines that embrace advanced satellite solutions—like Starlink, for example—are really setting the bar, and Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways are great examples of that. European airlines, and especially Lufthansa, really need to modernize to meet traveler demands. Until upgrades are more common, passengers ought to check the Wi-Fi offerings from different airlines before booking to ensure they have a connected flight. As the industry continues changing, the year 2025 may represent a pretty significant turning point, offering better digital convenience to travelers worldwide.