CAPE TOWN — Qatar Airways will introduce complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi powered by Starlink on one of its weekly flights between Doha and Cape Town beginning June 1, 2025, the airline announced this week.

The enhanced service comes during Qatar Airways’ 20th anniversary of operations in South Africa and will utilize a Boeing 777 aircraft in place of the usual Airbus A350 on one of the seven weekly flights on this route. 

Passengers will enjoy satellite-based connectivity with a single click, allowing them to browse, stream content, or work productively while in flight without any additional charges.

Qatar Airways has been aggressively rolling out Starlink technology across its fleet, having launched the world’s first Starlink-equipped Boeing 777 flight from Doha to London in October 2024.

The airline has made remarkable progress with the implementation, with over 80% of its Boeing 777 fleet now equipped with the service, and is expected to complete the remaining aircraft in the coming weeks.

The service has been described by industry experts as a “genuine gamechanger” that makes “browsing the internet as easy at 35,000 feet as it is on the ground” and provides performance levels previously unavailable in commercial aviation.

The Starlink system, operated by SpaceX, utilizes low Earth orbit satellites to deliver free gate-to-gate internet connectivity with ultra-high-speed and low-latency performance that enables streaming, gaming, and seamless business operations. 

“The introduction of Starlink on the Cape Town route comes during Qatar Airways’ 20th year of operations in South Africa,” the airline said in a statement. “This milestone reinforces our growing partnership with the country and the continent.”

Following the completion of the Boeing 777 fleet installation, Qatar Airways will become the first airline to begin equipping its Airbus A350 aircraft with Starlink technology, with the first A350 expected to receive the service this month. 

Qatar Airways has been serving Cape Town from its Doha hub since 2005, initially operating four weekly flights via Johannesburg before expanding to direct daily service.

Currently, the airline operates 28 weekly flights to Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban. Across Africa, it connects to 29 cities with up to 180 weekly flights, offering approximately 44,000 seats.

The carrier has highlighted other regional investments including the recruitment of South African chefs and its strategic stake in local airline Airlink.

Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ at the 2024 World Airline Awards for a record eighth time, cementing its reputation for premium service and innovation in passenger experience