A United Airlines Boeing 737-MAX 8 aircraft departs from San Diego International Airport in San Diego, California, bound for New York on August 24, 2024.
Kevin Carter | Getty Images
United Airlines The airline said Friday it plans to offer free in-flight Wi-Fi powered by Elon Musk’s SpaceX’s Starlink on hundreds of passenger jets, marking the satellite service provider’s largest in-flight internet deal to date.
The partnership comes as airlines have been investing in faster in-flight Wi-Fi, and sometimes offering it for free, to attract higher-paying customers like business travelers.
Delta Airlines The airline announced that it will offer free in-flight internet to members of its SkyMiles loyalty program starting in early 2023. Hawaiian AirlinesThe airline, through its Starlink deal, also offers free in-flight Wi-Fi. JetBlue We have been offering free Wi-Fi for many years.
SpaceX previously had a deal with semi-private airline JSX.
United Airlines currently offers in-flight internet with the following providers: Viasat and Panasonic, which charges loyalty program members $8 and non-members $10 for domestic and short-haul international flights.
United Airlines said it plans to install Starlink on more than 1,000 aircraft over the “coming years,” with the first passenger planes equipped with the service early next year. United said the Wi-Fi will provide connectivity “from gate to gate.”
United Airlines praised SpaceX’s satellite service, saying it would provide “internet connectivity around the world, including to oceans, polar regions and other remote areas beyond the reach of traditional cellular or Wi-Fi signals” — a selling point for the U.S. airline, which has the largest reach on both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
SpaceX has been steadily expanding its Starlink network and product lineup since its debut in 2020. There are currently about 6,000 Starlink satellites in orbit, connecting more than 3 million customers in 100 countries, according to the company. SpaceX initially targeted consumers but has expanded into other markets, including the aviation industry.