Lufthansa passengers travelling on long-haul flights will be able to enjoy the full freedom of online communication – together with its long-standing partners, Panasonic Avionics Corporation and Deutsche Telekom, Lufthansa will be the first airline to offer customers broadband Internet access on intercontinental routes.

The service, which will initially be provided on selected North Atlantic routes, will be available on nearly the entire Lufthansa intercontinental network by the end of 2011. “Inflight Internet on board our long-haul flights is an innovation in the interests of our customers,” says Thierry Antinori, member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board. “FlyNet complements the consistent communications service offering for Lufthansa customers at all points of the travel chain. It provides them with completely new and unique opportunities to spend their time on board or while waiting for connecting flights.”

Lufthansa operated the world’s first scheduled flight with broadband Internet access on 15 January, 2003. From May 2004 until the end of 2006, when Lufthansa’s then-partner Connexion by Boeing discontinued the service, wireless broadband Internet enjoyed increasing popularity. The technology also proved very reliable. By the end of 2006, some 69 of Lufthansa’s long-range aircraft were equipped with FlyNet, making the Lufthansa fleet the largest Internet-enabled long-haul fleet in the world, with about 30,000 users per month.