Air India vs Emirates 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

Emirates

Whole fleetVaries by aircraft

Panasonic/Thales GEO on unfitted aircraft; Starlink in service (33 Boeing 777 and 3 A380 flying as of Jul 2026, ~150 aircraft by end of 2026, all 232 777s and A380s by mid-2027)

· Free in all cabins on Starlink-fitted aircraft
· On GEO aircraft, free tiers for Skywards members with full access paid or premium-cabin

Air India vs Emirates Wi-Fi questions

Does Air India or Emirates have better Wi-Fi?

As of August 2026, Air India's fleet-level verdict is "Not on every aircraft" and Emirates's is "Varies by 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 Emirates?

Air India: Free on wifi-fitted A350/787-9/select A321neo. Emirates: Free in all cabins on Starlink-fitted aircraft; On GEO aircraft, free tiers for Skywards members with full access paid or premium-cabin.

See these verdicts while you book

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