Qantas Airlines offering iPad 2s for streaming movies over in-flight Wi-Fi

Qantas Airlines is beginning a six week trial program, offering passengers an iPad 2 for the duration of the flight to stream movies over in-flight Wi-Fi, reports AUSBT. Passengers will use a preloaded ‘Q Streaming’ app to view movies, streaming from one of five Wi-Fi access points available on the flight. The current six week trial will be taking place on one single Boeing 767-300, which carries up to 254 passengers. That’s a lot of iPads and interestingly, a whole Class C subnet. If everyone is streaming, will the 5 Wi-Fi hotspots be able to handle the traffic?

As the six week trial comes to an end, Qantas will begin offering the ‘Q Streaming’ app to passengers so they can download it on their own iOS device. If the six week trial is successful the airline will install iPad brackets in the seats, presumably across their whole fleet.