United Airlines plans to fly its first commercial flight using Starlink Wi-Fi this spring after accelerating the timeline for its new internet service, the airline announced Sunday.
The company plans to equip its entire two-cabin regional fleet with Starlink Wi-Fi by the end of the year. There are also plans to fly the first Starlink-equipped mainline aircraft by the end of 2025.
The new satellite-based Wi-Fi will be free to members of United's MileagePlus frequent flyer program.
“We have a lot planned for MileagePlus members this year, and everything is centered around adding Starlink to as many aircraft as possible as quickly as possible,” United MileagePlus CEO Richard Nunn said in a press release. ” he said.
“Not only will we revolutionize the United aviation experience, but we will be able to offer our members many new partnerships and benefits that would not otherwise be possible,” he added.
United Airlines announced in September that it had signed a deal with SpaceX to equip all of its 1,000-plus aircraft with Starlink Wi-Fi “over the next few years.” Starlink is a subsidiary of SpaceX, Elon Musk's spacecraft and satellite communications company.
Other airlines have agreements with Starlink to provide in-flight Wi-Fi, including Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways, which launched the service last year.
