United Airlines has just announced that it has become the largest airline customer so far of Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service with plans to install the high-speed, low-latency inflight Wi-Fi service across its entire fleet, including mainline and regional aircraft.
More than 1,000 United and United Express aircraft will have the satellite internet service installed, offering passengers unparalleled access to the same broadband internet experience they enjoy at home.
What’s even better, however, is that, like some other airlines that have already penned deals with Starlink, United will make the service available for free to all passengers.
Announcing the passenger-pleasing move on Friday, United said that it intends to start testing in early 2025, and the fleet-wide installation process will start a little later next year.
The timeline to complete the installation process hasn’t been set in stone but United Airlines says it will be rolled out over several years. So far, there’s no confirmation of what aircraft types will get Starlink first.
“Everything you can do on the ground, you’ll soon be able to do onboard a United plane at 35,000 feet, just about anywhere in the world,” commented United CEO Scott Kirby after the airline finally confirmed the rumors that had been swirling for days.
“This connectivity opens the door for an even better inflight entertainment experience, in every seatback – more content, that’s more personalized. United’s culture of innovation is, once again, delivering big for our customers,” Kirby continued.
Using a so-called ‘constellation’ of low-earth orbit satellites, Starlink can provide broadband-quality Wi-Fi practically anywhere in the world, including live streaming and video gaming at 38,000 feet.
In recent years, United Airlines has fallen behind with its provision of inflight Wi-Fi and is known as offering one of the worst connectivity experience in the sky amongst US carriers.
The Starlink service will ensure that United not only catches up with its peers but also surpasses rivals with the quality and speed of inflight Wi-Fi. Importantly, only Delta Air Lines also offers free Wi-Fi on international flights.
In the United States, the only other airline to have so far teamed up with Starlink is Hawaiian Airlines. Internationally, the other big airline customer for Starlink is Qatar Airways which also has plans to install the service across nearly all of its fleet in the coming years.
