Accelerated Starlink timeline for United Airlines
In an update to earlier timeline expectations, United Airlines is to begin testing its onboard Starlink connectivity solution next month ahead of the first commercial service to offer the technology this Spring.
This will be conducted on a United Embraer E-175 aircraft, with the airline intending to equip its entire two-cabin regional fleet by the end of this year. The first mainline Starlink-enabled aircraft will also enter service by the end of 2025, with access free for all MileagePlus customers.
“We have a lot planned for our MileagePlus members this year and adding Starlink to as many planes as we can – as quickly as we can – is at the centre of it all,” explained CEO of United MileagePlus Richard Nunn, who added that the offering is “going to unlock tons of new partnerships and benefits for our members that otherwise wouldn’t be possible”.
United first announced its intention to adopt the SpaceX Starlink-enabled system in September 2024, promising that “the new, gate-to-gate connectivity will unlick game-changing experiences in the sky at scale that no other major US airline provides”. The carrier also stated that all of its some 1,000 aircraft would adopt the free onboard WiFi solution “over the next several years”.
United currently employs four Wifi providers (Gogo, Panasonic, Thales and ViaSat), each providing different coverage across different regions and aircraft types. Pricing is currently set at between $8 and $10 for US domestic and short-haul international flights, and differs for all other international routes.
