Air India vs British Airways Wi-Fi

Same route, different metal. The tables below are the two carriers' live registry entries, per aircraft type, so the comparison stays current as their rollouts move.

Air India

A350Email & browsing

Panasonic Avionics (Nelco/Intelsat), free

787Not on every aircraft

Free Panasonic wifi on the 787-9s only; the 787-8s are unfitted until the Hughes rollout from 2027, and Google does not distinguish them

A321Not on every aircraft

Free Panasonic wifi on select A321neos only

Rest of fleetNo Wi-Fi

None on the 777s and the rest of the fleet until the Hughes rollout from 2027

· Free on wifi-fitted A350/787-9/select A321neo

British Airways

787Not on every aircraft

Starlink on 11 of 12 787-8s (trade reports by registration, 30 September 2026); older satellite Wi-Fi on 14 of 18 787-9s and every 787-10; no Wi-Fi on the remaining 787-8 and four 787-9s

A350Varies by aircraft

Starlink on 6 of 18 A350-1000s (passenger reports, 30 September 2026, not yet confirmed by BA); older satellite Wi-Fi on the rest

A380Email & browsing

Older satellite Wi-Fi on every A380 (no Starlink yet: the A380 still needs certification)

777Email & browsing

Older satellite Wi-Fi on every 777 (no Starlink yet)

A319, A320, A321Not on every aircraft

Standard Wi-Fi on most A319/A320/A321s; none on some of the newest aircraft (no Starlink yet)

Embraer 190, ERJ-190, E190No Wi-Fi

None (BA CityFlyer's London City Embraer 190s have never had Wi-Fi, and Starlink is not planned for them)

· Paid on planes without Starlink (about £7.99 for an hour up to £23.99 for the whole flight)
· Free messaging for British Airways Club members, and free in First
· Free in every cabin on Starlink planes

Air India vs British Airways Wi-Fi questions

Does Air India or British Airways have better Wi-Fi?

As of September 2026, Air India's fleet-level verdict is "Not on every aircraft" and British Airways's is "Not on every aircraft". On mid-rollout fleets the answer changes with the specific aircraft, so check the per-aircraft tables for the plane on your route.

Is Wi-Fi free on Air India and British Airways?

Air India: Free on wifi-fitted A350/787-9/select A321neo. British Airways: Paid on planes without Starlink (about £7.99 for an hour up to £23.99 for the whole flight); Free messaging for British Airways Club members, and free in First; Free in every cabin on Starlink planes.

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FlightWifi shows these verdicts inline on Google Flights, Skyscanner and Rift, matched to the exact aircraft on your flight.

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