Three years after unplugging its in-flight Internet service because of insufficient demand, Lufthansa said Monday that it would reintroduce a new and improved version of the service on most of its long-distance flights by the first half of 2010.

The new high-speed offering, dubbed FlyNet, will allow passengers throughout a cabin to connect to the Web using a Wi-Fi-enabled laptop or handheld mobile device like an iPhone or Blackberry, even when flying over the ocean, thanks to a satellite-based technology provided by Panasonic of Japan.

Wolfgang Mayruber, chief executive of the German flag carrier, said the service was aimed in particular at business travelers and would provide connectivity equivalent to a “powerful hot spot or a high-end hotel” on the ground.

The airline did not give an immediate indication of how much it would charge for the service or on which routes it would be introduced.