SOURCE RESEARCH
The Future of In-Flight Wi-Fi
Presentation | 1Q 2026 | PT-3893
Get The ReportThere are close to 30,000 commercial aircraft in operation today, with projections of over 38,000 by 2035.
The number of Cabin Wireless Access Points (CWAPs) on aircraft varies. Older narrowbody aircraft may be equipped with just 1 or 2 CWAPs, whereas newer widebody aircraft could have between 5 and 6 CWAPs.
Network refreshes for CWAPs are considerably less frequent than in standard enterprise, typically occurring once a decade. ABI Research estimates that 9,644 CWAPs were shipped worldwide in 2024. This number is projected to increase to 11,086 by 2030.
