What Elon Musk’s Starlink means for airlines

Aboard a flight from Doha to London, Elon Musk and Qatar Airways Group CEO, Badr Mohammed Al Meer, spoke about Starlink during a video call mid-flight, using the aircraft’s Starlink internet.

Qatar Airways said Starlink Wifi will feature on Boeing 777 and selected routes as the airline pushes forward its rollout. Passengers can use the service at no charge. The gulf carrier joins United Airlines, Air France, Hawaiian Airlines and Air New Zealand which are rolling out Starlink’s satellite internet.

What is Starlink?

Starlink is a satellite internet service operated by SpaceX – an aerospace company founded in 2002 by Elon Musk. In 2019, SpaceX began launching Starlink satellites and as of September 2024, there are over 6,000 satellites in orbit. Starlink’s main objective is to provide high-speed, low-latency broadband internet access to remote and rural areas around the world.

To give you context, WhistleOut’s broadband experts say compared to the NBN, Starlink speeds blow both satellite and fixed wireless connections out of the sky. Download speed tests show Starlink reaching 102.76Mbps, compared to 100Mbps for Satellite NBN and 57.2Mbps for fixed wireless NBN.

What does it mean for airlines?

Along with Qatar Airways, a handful of airlines are exploring the use of Starlink. As of September 2024, Hawaiian Airlines is offering Starlink Wifi free of charge to guests onboard all Airbus-operated flights between the islands and the continental US, Asia and Oceania. It became the first major US carrier to debut Starlink in February on its Airbus A321neo aircraft. Hawaiian will also install Starlink on its flagship Boeing 787-9 fleet.

United Airlines has signed an agreement with Space X to bring Starlink Wifi to its fleet, with testing to begin in early 2025. The airline expects to have Starlink on all aircraft over the next several years, with the first to be kitted out at the end of next year. Air France will also be rolling out the high-speed connectivity from 2025 onwards, with both airlines promising the service will be free of charge. Closer to home, Air New Zealand also plans to equip its domestic fleet with Starlink internet, with trials starting in 2025.

Starlink is a game changer for airlines on two fronts. Passengers will be able to connect to fast and low-latency internet, and it’s looking like it will be free – at least for now. The advanced satellite technology offers reliable communication, even over remote areas, and provides a competitive edge for airlines adopting it.

Passengers will be able to do everything they do from their home internet, inflight. That means watching movies and TV shows, video calling, playing online games and scrolling through social media all from your own devices. Starlink’s consistent and efficient connectivity will set a new standard for in-flight services and signals a massive change in modern aviation.