Emirates now offers limited free Wi-Fi on 106 planes, with two to three more aircraft being installed with connectivity every month.

After updating the service in early February, Emirates has seen uptake rise by another 25 per cent.

On its ultra long-haul flights (over 14 hours), over 30 per cent of passengers typically use Wi-Fi services, and on a recent flight to New York, 66 per cent used onboard Wi-Fi.

Currently, Wi-Fi service is available on all of the airline’s 59 Airbus A380 aircraft and 47 of its Boeing 777 aircraft.

On more than 60 per cent of the installed fleet, the first 10MB data is free – sufficient for an update on social media accounts or texting via instant messaging apps.

Thereafter, and for the rest of the fleet, users can enjoy 500MB of data for a token $1 charge.

“Emirates is committed to making our entire fleet Wi-Fi enabled.

“Customers seek free Wi-Fi on-the-go, especially while travelling, and it is becoming the norm for most people who want to stay connected through online social networks and instant messaging. We foresee that free Wi-Fi onboard is the future standard for our customers,” says Patrick Brannelly, one of the airline’s divisional vice presidents.

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