These Canadian airlines rank among the world's best for in-flight Wi-Fi
Whether you travel for work or want to pass the time watching your fave show, in this day and age, in-flight Wi-Fi is a must.
If you’re wondering whether you’re in for a smooth Wi-Fi connection on an upcoming flight, Ookla has revealed its ranking of in-flight connectivity of over 50 airlines, based on Speedtest Intelligence data.
“We have reached a point where the quality of in-flight connectivity (IFC) can be a decisive factor for passengers choosing flights and airlines based on their digital experience,” wrote Kerry Baker, Ookla industry analyst. “For airlines, providing high-quality Wi-Fi is no longer just a perk — now it is a critical driver of passenger loyalty.”
According to the report, there are three factors that may affect an airline’s in-flight connectivity: the satellite, the router, and the airplane.
When it comes to satellites, Baker says low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites are outperforming Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellites. He likened GEO to on-the-ground Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) and LEO to the connectivity speed of fibre.
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Starlink satellites operate in LEO, which is why the report says airlines achieving over 90 per cent speed consistency are almost exclusively serviced by Starlink.
Baker adds that some airplanes have older Wi-Fi routers, and some have newer ones, which is a key factor in how consistent and speedy your internet connection is. The airplane you’re flying in also affects this.
“The airplane serves as the physical nexus for the IFC and Wi-Fi router. Although Speedtest data cannot isolate specific airplanes (network names are airline-specific), this hardware variability is an important performance factor,” reads the report.
Ookla analyzed over 50 airlines for the consistency of their in-flight Wi-Fi service based on a dual-threshold of 25 Mbps download speed and 3 Mbps upload speed, which is what is usually needed for general internet use for work or entertainment.
“Speeds above 25 Mbps supports a buffer-free experience for High-Definition (HD) video streaming, smooth loading of content-heavy web pages, and the reliable handling of larger email attachments,” explains Baker. “A consistent 3 Mbps upload speed helps for maintaining responsive connections to cloud-based work applications like Slack and shared cloud drives.”
Ookla
Two Canadian airlines made it in the top 10 of the world’s fastest and most consistent in-flight Wi-Fi based on the factors above.
WestJet took second place, just behind airBaltic, with 95.8 per cent consistency, making it in the top three over-90 per cent consistency leaders. The airline introduced free Wi-Fi on its flights in 2024 in partnership with Telus. The in-flight connectivity is delivered by Starlink’s satellite constellation.
Air Canada lags behind in sixth place with 84.6 per cent consistency, comprising the second group of high-ranking consistency scores. The carrier implemented free Wi-Fi on major flight routes in 2025, sponsored by Bell.
“Nearly all of these airlines with consistencies above 50 per cent had something in common — Starlink. With the exception of Air Canada, which relies on Intelsat for its in-flight Wi-Fi service, every airline in this group had a meaningful proportion of its IFC provided by Starlink,” reads the report.
The report also found that airlines using Starlink outperformed other internet connectivity providers’ download speeds, which is why WestJet also trumped Air Canada in that category.
Ookla
“Of over 50 airlines evaluated, the eight airlines that exceeded 100 Mbps median download speed and half of those clocking over 300 Mbps in 2H 2025 were served by Starlink,” reads the report. “No other IFC provider approached triple-digit speeds. Conversely, no airline with Starlink was below 100 Mbps median download speed.”
Last year, Air Canada ranked higher than WestJet for Wi-Fi download and upload speeds.