United signs Starlink Deal
September 13, 2024
United has signed an inflight connectivity agreement with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s Wi-Fi service to the airline’s mainline and regional aircraft fleet – for free.
United customers will soon enjoy the same high-speed, low-latency internet service in the air that they enjoy on the ground. The new, gate-to-gate connectivity will unlock experiences in the sky such as access to live TV and streaming services, social media, shopping, gaming and more, on seatback screens and personal devices simultaneously.
United expects to have Starlink on all United aircraft – more than 1,000 planes – over the next several years. Testing begins in early 2025 with the first passenger flights expected later that year.
“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,” said United CEO Scott Kirby. “This connectivity opens the door for an even better inflight entertainment experience, in every seatback – more content, that’s more personalised. United’s culture of innovation is, once again, delivering big for our customers.”
“We’re excited to team up with United Airlines to transform the inflight experience,” added Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer at SpaceX. “With Starlink onboard your United flight, you’ll have access to the world’s most advanced high-speed internet from gate to gate, and all the miles in between.”
In addition to using Starlink connectivity on personal devices, United customers also will have access on their seatback screens. United has nearly 100,000 seatback screens across its fleet, with plans to grow these numbers as the airline continues to take delivery of new airplanes and retrofit existing aircraft with its new United signature interiors. The inflight content is available in more than 20 different languages. The new United signature interiors include 16-inch HD touch screens in each United Polaris business class seat, 13-inch screens in every United First Class seat and 10-inch screens in every United Economy seat.
The new service will also benefit United’s frontline employees – United pilots, flight attendants, technicians and gate agents all use mobile devices to help run the operation and serve customers.