Global airline Qatar Airways has announced that, with effect from June 1 this year, one of its seven weekly flights between Doha and Cape Town will be operated by a Boeing 777, instead of the usual Airbus A350. This will allow the carrier to offer its complimentary Starlink ultra-fast Wi-Fi internet connectivity to passengers on that flight.

Qatar has almost finished the installation of Starlink systems on its Boeing 777 fleet, and operates the world’s largest Starlink-equipped 777 fleet. It has now started fitting Starlink to its A350s, becoming the first airline in the world to fit the system to the A350.

Qatar is the only Middle Eastern-North African carrier to offer its passengers a complimentary Starlink service. Passengers can access the satellite-based system by means of a ‘one-click access’ process. Starlink connectivity allows passengers to work, stream video, or play games.

“The introduction of Starlink on the Cape Town route comes during Qatar Airways’ twentieth year of operations in South Africa,” highlighted the carrier. “This is the latest in a series of milestones that have continued to strengthen the airline’s ties with the country and the continent. The complimentary Wi-Fi connectivity, coupled with the recent recruitment of young talented chefs from the Capsicum Culinary Studio, the continuous serving of popular African flavours on-board, as well as the investment in [South African airline] Airlink, all attest to Qatar Airways’ deepening partnership with South Africa and the broader continent.”

The airline currently operates 28 flights a week to Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Across Africa as a whole, it serves 29 cities with up to 180 flights every week, with a weekly average capacity of 44 000 seats. At the 2024 World Airline Awards, Qatar won the title of the ‘World’s Best Airline’ for the eighth time – an unprecedented achievement. It had previously won the title in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022.