United Airlines is set to offer free in-flight WiFi via the SpaceX Starlink satellite broadband internet service. “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 in the announcement. “This connectivity opens the door for an even better inflight entertainment experience, in every seat back – more content, that’s more personalized.”
The airline said it expects the technology to be on all of its more than 1,000 United aircraft “over the next several years.” It also said early 2025 will mark the start of testing and the first passenger flights with the service are expected later in the year.
“We’re excited to team up with @United Airlines to transform the in-flight experience across their fleet of more than 1,000 planes!” SpaceX President/CEO Gwynne Shotwell said on X. “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.”
United said its 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 “game-changing experiences in the sky at scale that no other major U.S. airline provides like access to live TV and streaming services, social media, shopping, gaming and more, on seatback screens and personal devices simultaneously.”
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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