United Airways is making aviation historical past. On October 15, flight UA 2940 departed from Newark (EWR) to Houston (IAH) aboard a Boeing 737-800 with full Starlink high-speed satellite tv for pc web, marking the primary time a significant US airline has supplied this Starlink connectivity on an airplane with each a private system and entry to the in-flight leisure display screen.
The Starlink-equipped 737-800 carried greater than 170 passengers, all of whom have been capable of stream, recreation, surf and work at speeds mentioned to be similar to terrestrial broadband. After the inaugural flight, the identical plane would proceed service with flight UA 365 from Houston to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and flight UA 445 returning to Houston later that day.
Broad rollout plan: formidable enlargement throughout the fleet
United plans a fast deployment marketing campaign and installs Starlink at most 15 Boeing 737-800s monthly. By the top of the 12 months, the airline needs to certify much more plane varieties to move the system. Throughout its regional operations, United first launched Starlink connectivity in Might 2025; at that time, greater than half of the regional fleet was already outfitted. The broader ambition: virtually 2,940 antennas for the airline’s complete fleet.
Remarkably, MileagePlus loyalty members get entry to Starlink at no additional value, with pre-departure alerts despatched when their flights are rested.
David Kinzelman, United’s Chief Buyer Officer, praised the improve: “Whether or not it is watching a stay recreation, streaming an award present or working, United prospects will not miss a second once they’re aboard a Starlink-equipped flight.”
Trade Momentum: Who Else Makes use of Starlink?
United is way from alone in turning to Starlink for in-flight connectivity. A number of international airways already supply or are rolling out the system:
- Qatar Airways has outfitted its complete Boeing 777 fleet with Starlink, making it a pioneer amongst long-haul carriers.
- Hawaiian Airways provides Starlink on its Airbus A330 and A321neo plane, with complimentary service for these fleet segments.
- Air France not too long ago introduced plans emigrate its Wi-Fi to Starlink and supply the know-how to its frequent flyer base.
- Different airways providing or planning Starlink service embody WestJet, airBalticAnd JSX.
- Air New Zealand is testing Starlink on just a few plane as a part of a broader analysis.
Analysts see the shift to Starlink as half of a bigger business pattern away from geostationary satellite tv for pc suppliers towards low-Earth orbit networks that supply decrease latency and better throughput.