American billionaire Elon Musk may soon provide internet service for United Airlines flights. United Airlines announced on Friday (September 13) its plan to utilize Musk’s SpaceX company’s Starlink to offer free Wi-Fi for passengers on board.
United Airlines is expected to install Starlink internet connectivity on all of its more than one thousand aircraft in the upcoming years, aiming to maintain passengers’ loyalty by providing faster and more reliable browsing and downloads.
The airline stated that Starlink’s service will be more reliable, especially over oceans and other remote areas – a key advantage for United Airlines’ extensive long-haul international flight network spanning the Atlantic and Pacific. It will allow passengers to watch live TV and stream media while using multiple devices simultaneously.
Testing of this service is set to begin in early 2025, with United Airlines planning to roll out the service on its first batch of passenger flights later in 2025.
In-flight internet service has become an increasingly expected amenity for travelers, particularly lucrative business passengers that airlines are striving to attract. Over the past two years, major U.S. airlines have been investing in developing faster in-flight Wi-Fi services, sometimes offering it for free to entice customers.
Delta Air Lines announced in early 2023 that members of its SkyMiles loyalty program could use in-flight internet for free. Delta introduced free in-flight Wi-Fi service through another provider.
Starlink under SpaceX has signed agreements with multiple airlines to provide in-flight internet services.
The deal between Starlink and United Airlines will test whether the service can meet the demands of a large number of passengers, enabling full flights to watch movies, browse social media, and respond to messages.
In addition to United, Musk’s Starlink has agreements with Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways to offer free in-flight Wi-Fi. However, United Airlines will be Starlink’s largest airline customer to date.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Linda Jojo, United Airlines’ Chief Customer Officer, acknowledged that some current service providers struggle when facing too many passengers trying to log onto the network. Starlink’s service, on the other hand, can handle high demand.
“We know that each passenger may have multiple devices, and this will support that. It will operate in a game-changing way, like it’s your living room,” she said.