United Airlines is accelerating its plans to install Starlink high-speed wifi technology on its aircraft.
The US carrier announced an agreement with SpaceX’s Starlink in September last year, and had originally planned to start testing in early 2025, with the first passenger flights offering the service expected later this year.
But United now says that its first Starlink-equipped Embraer E-175 aircraft will enter service this spring, with the whole of its two-cabin regional fleet fitted by the end of 2025, and the first mainline aircraft also equipped before the end of the year.
The airline ultimately plans to equip more than 1,000 mainline and regional aircraft with the Starlink wifi service in the coming years.
Access will be free for all MileagePlus customers, who will be able to enjoy “the same high-speed, low-latency internet service in the air that they enjoy on the ground”, with gate-to-gate connectivity, access to live streaming, and the ability to download/upload documents and edit shared files in real-time.
The news follows Qatar Airways fitting 15 of its Boeing 777 aircraft with the Starlink technology late last year, and Air France also announcing plans to rollout the service across its fleet.
Commenting on the news Richard Nunn, CEO of United MileagePlus, said:
“We have a lot planned for our MileagePlus members this year and adding Starlink to as many planes as we can – as quickly as we can – is at the centre of it all.
“It’s not only going to revolutionize the experience of flying United, but it’s also going to unlock tonnes of new partnerships and benefits for our members that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.”