Russia may get Wi-Fi on its planes … in 2028

Russian state-owned airline Aeroflot hopes to bring Wi-Fi access to its planes — but it’s still years away.

Russian Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadayev told Russian state-owned news agency TASS that Wi-Fi on board Russian planes will be ubiquitous by 2028.

“We have signed a corresponding agreement, and I think the passengers want it. It’s a demanded service. I would also like it to be free for passengers, as it’s now being implemented around the world,” Aeroflot CEO Sergei Alexandrovsky said Monday at the Digital Transport Forum in Moscow, adding that it will depend on operators whether the service will be free.

However, enabling internet access on flights could be easier said than done.

Sanctions by Western countries on Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine mean Russian airlines have lost access to service upgrades and spare parts.

In-flight internet was first introduced on Western airlines about 20 years ago.