Air France becomes 1st European carrier to offer Starlink WiFi on long-haul flights
September 10, 2025
Air France has officially begun rolling out its Starlink in-flight WiFi service, making it the first major European airline to offer fast, free internet access in all travel cabins on long-haul routes. Starlink’s low-Earth-orbit satellite network offers a ground-like internet experience in the sky.
Five Air France aircraft equipped with Starlink—30% of the fleet to be installed by EoY 2025
The service, first announced in autumn 2024, is now operational on the carrier’s fifth aircraft and will expand rapidly over the next year.
The airline finished equipping two Embraer 190s and two Airbus A220s with the technology earlier this month. An Airbus A350 will be equipped this week.
It will mark the debut of Starlink high-speed WiFi on Air France’s long-haul network. The Starlink service rollout represents a major step in the airline’s strategy to upgrade the in-flight connectivity experience across its fleet, including on its regional aircraft.
By the end of 2025, Air France expects to have 30% of its aircraft equipped with Starlink systems for in-flight connectivity, with full fleet coverage targeted by the end of 2026.
Free high-speed WiFi in all Air France cabin classes
The new service is free of charge in every cabin, from Economy to La Première, and supports multiple devices, including smartphones, tablets and laptops.
Passengers can stay connected, follow global news, stream films and TV series, or play multiplayer games with a stable, high-speed connection. Access is simple: customers log in with their Flying Blue account, or create one on board at no cost. La Première customers can connect directly.
During the transition, aircraft not yet equipped with Starlink will continue to offer a free “messaging” pass for Flying Blue loyalty members and a paid option for general browsing and streaming.
Starlink-powered in-flight WiFi is growing in Europe, but Amazon’s Project Kuiper is also a contender
Air France’s deployment comes as other European airlines also embrace Starlink technology.
In February, Latvian carrier airBaltic became the first European carrier to offer live Starlink in-flight WiFi service, after completing the first installations on its Airbus A220-300s. The airline plans to install Starlink to its full fleet by the end of the year. Like Air France, airBaltic passengers enjoy free high-speed WiFi in all classes.
In January, Air France’s SkyTeam partner SAS announced it would introduce Starlink WiFi with a phased rollout on its entire fleet beginning at the end of 2025. The service will be free to EuroBonus members.
Virgin Atlantic announced in July 2025 that it would become the first UK airline to offer free, streaming-quality Starlink WiFi across its fleet. The airline will begin installing Starlink services on its Boeing 787s, Airbus A350s, and A330neos from Q3 2026, and expects to complete the installation by the end of 2027.
International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of British Airways, Aer Lingus and Iberia, is reportedly also in discussions with SpaceX’s Starlink to bring satellite WiFi to its fleet. However, the low-Earth-orbit competition is intensifying. IAG is also evaluating Amazon’s Project Kuiper constellation for its new in-flight connectivity service.
JetBlue recently became the world’s first airline to announce it would launch Project Kuiper-enabled in-flight connectivity starting in 2027.
