A host of flights from Budapest Airport will soon boast free, blisteringly fast internet

Free, high‑power broadband is set to appear on numerous flights from Budapest Airport, courtesy of a tie‑up with Elon Musk’s Starlink. The service promises to transform the in‑flight experience for every passenger on board.

Powerful connection on a vast number of aircraft

According to HVG, the entire Lufthansa fleet will begin to be fitted with high‑speed, free internet in the second half of this year, and crucially, it will be available in economy as well. The upgrade, enabled by a deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink, will not be limited to the German flag carrier: it will extend across the entire Lufthansa Group, including Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and Swiss. All of these operate flights from Budapest, meaning a huge number of Hungarian travellers – and anyone flying out of Hungary – will soon be able to tap into SpaceX’s Starlink service while in the air.

Many non‑budget carriers already offer free connectivity of sorts, but it is typically restricted to messaging apps such as Messenger, Viber and WhatsApp. Access to the kind of higher‑speed connection needed for streaming, social media or heavier browsing generally comes at an extra cost.

How long the roll‑out will take

By contrast, the new technology now being introduced will be available completely free of charge to every passenger on Lufthansa Group aircraft. The only requirement will be to create a Travel ID, a process that will take just a few minutes and will not cost a penny. That same ID can later be used to manage bookings, handle online check‑in and store or retrieve boarding passes.

There is, however, one sobering footnote to all this good news: although installation is scheduled to begin in 2026, the plan is that the entire fleet will not be equipped until 2029.

Ryanair wants nothing to do with in‑flight internet

A number of airlines have already embraced similar services, among them Scandinavian carrier SAS, airBaltic and Qatar Airways. Others have bluntly said they want no part of it. Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has long argued that his passengers typically fly for about an hour and are not prepared to pay extra for internet access on board. He has also claimed that installing the necessary antenna would significantly increase drag, push up fuel burn and ultimately cost the airline around 250 million dollars.

Elon Musk has in turn branded O’Leary a “total idiot” and suggested he should be sacked. O’Leary has fired back, saying Musk “knows nothing about aviation” and describing his social‑media platform as a cesspit.

Hungarian‑linked low‑cost carrier Wizz Air has so far kept its counsel on the question of in‑flight internet. But they have recently launched the so-called Wizz Class, a low-cost alternative to business class.