Kenya Airways Acting CEO George Kamal says free WiFi is coming to all long-haul flights from Q2 2027, starting with the Boeing 777-300ER already fitted for the Nairobi-London route.
Kenya Airways expects to introduce free onboard WiFi across all its long-haul flights from the second quarter of 2027, Acting Group Managing Director and CEO George Kamal has revealed.
Speaking in an interview following the release of the airline's Half Year 2026 results in Nairobi, Kamal said WiFi equipment has already been installed on the Boeing 777-300ER, the national carrier's largest aircraft. The plane, currently deployed on the Nairobi-London route, is however still awaiting a slot with an internet service provider before the connectivity can go live for passengers.
"I want WiFi on every flight. And I want it to be free for customers to enjoy... The Boeing 777 is already equipped but is awaiting a slot to begin offering the service," Kamal said.
The update builds on an earlier announcement made in March, when KQ management first disclosed plans to introduce onboard WiFi specifically for the Nairobi-London route.
The airline says it has since secured agreements with partners that will allow it to skip what would ordinarily be a one-year wait to get the internet service installed on its planes, and plans to extend the rollout to aircraft serving other long-haul destinations, including New York, Paris, Amsterdam, and Guangzhou.
Kamal said the move will help Kenya Airways stay competitive with rival carriers in the region as it looks to maintain its standing against Ethiopian Airlines and other players jostling for regional dominance.
On cost, Kamal said the airline intends to absorb the expense of connectivity for at least the first year, rather than passing it on to passengers directly. "At least for the first year we want to have WiFi free. To manage this, we target commercialising in-flight entertainment to offset these costs," he explained.
Industry watchers note that onboard WiFi has increasingly become a deciding factor for travellers choosing airlines for long-haul journeys, allowing passengers to stay connected with work, family, and entertainment for flights lasting seven hours or more — turning what was once dead time in the air into productive or leisure time.
Kamal said the service has been on the airline's roadmap for some time, driven largely by customer demand for connectivity on its longer routes.
Should Kenya Airways successfully roll out the service across its long-haul fleet, it will become only the second airline in East Africa to offer onboard WiFi, behind RwandAir. Currently, only five airlines across the entire African continent offer the service, though the number of aircraft fitted with in-flight connectivity has been rising steadily over the past decade as demand grows.