United Airlines has today announced the signing of a new agreement with Starlink to provide complimentary industry-leading connectivity in the sky. Starlink will allow for gate-to-gate internet, live TV, streaming services and more across United's 1,000+ fleet.
On Friday (September 13, 2024), United Airlines announced the signing of the industry’s largest agreement of its kind with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s Wi-Fi service to their mainline and regional fleets for free. Soon, United customers will enjoy the same high-speed, low-latency, internet in the air as they enjoy on the ground. With the new Starlink service, guests will enjoy gate-to-gate connectivity, live TV and streaming services, social media, shopping, gaming and more, both on seatback screens and personal devices simultaneously. Starlink delivers internet access worldwide, including over oceans, polar regions and other remote regions, previously unreachable by traditional cell or Wi-Fi signals.
In Friday’s announcement, United Airlines’ CEO, Scott Kirby, said,
“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. This connectivity opens the door for an even better inflight entertainment experience, in every seatback – more content, that's more personalized. United’s culture of innovation is, once again, delivering big for our customers.”
Also commenting on the new connectivity agreement, SpaceX’s President and Chief Operating Officer, Gwynne Shotwell, added,
“We’re excited to team up with United Airlines to transform the inflight experience. 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 Airlines’ expects to have Starlink installed on all 1,000+ aircraft over the next several years. Testing will begin in early 2025, and the first Starlink-equipped passenger flights will take to the skies later next year.
The largest airline across both the Atlantic and Pacific, United will be the first airline in the world to commit to offering Starlink service at this scale. The new service will also benefit United’s team members, who all use mobile devices to help run the operation and service customers. As the carrier rolls out Starlink more broadly, employees will have access to the same rich connectivity capabilities when working in remote locations, or when traditional services are impacted during power outages or natural disasters.
Source: United Airlines/PRNewswire
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