Free Wi-Fi on-board planes will become standard practice for future air travel, according to Emirates.

More than half a million passengers have connected to the internet on its planes since the airline launched the in-flight service three years ago.

Emirates expects the demand to increase exponentially and is investing in a retrofitting programme to bring its entire fleet online. Currently, Wi-Fi is available mid-air on 53 A380s and 38 Boeing 777 aircraft.

On most flights passengers are charged $1 for 60MB of data, after using 10MB of data for free. The airline said it aims to upgrade its software to allow all travellers unlimited free Wi-Fi.

“It is a fact that our customers want onboard connectivity, and this demand is only going to increase as more people embrace an ‘always-on’ digital lifestyle, and carry smart mobile devices when they travel.

“We’ve always viewed Wi-Fi as a service and a value-added part of Emirates’ overall product, rather than a revenue stream,” said Emirates president Tim Clark.

“If we can offer good quality Wi-Fi connections for everyone on-board at no charge tomorrow, we will do it.

“But we face a slew of technical limitations – from speed and bandwidth availability and cost, to the supporting hardware and software – all of which we are working hard to address with the industry right now.

“Ultimately, we believe that on-board Wi-Fi will become a free service and a standard that customers will expect on a full service airline, just like onboard refreshments and personal in-flight entertainment.”

In October, Emirates saw a daily average of 3,500 passengers using on-board Wi-Fi, at an average of 28MB per user. Its passengers can also use in-seat SMS, e-mail and mobile phone services.

Emirates operates daily scheduled flights between Malta and Dubai via Larnaca, Cyprus.