Livestream from 35,000ft for launch of Qatar Airways’ Starlink service
October 23, 2024
Qatar Airways has celebrated the launch of the world’s first Starlink-equipped 777 flight (and the carrier’s inaugural integration of the service), with CEO Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer livestreaming a call from 35,000ft to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
Qatar’s flight from Doha to London symbolised a number of notable milestones for both the airline and SpaceX’s ultra-high-speed, low-latency Starlink product. As well as marking a first for both the carrier and the type, it also represented the first Starlink-equipped passenger aircraft in the MENA region, the largest and longest range passenger aircraft with the service, and the first Starlink Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for a Boeing aircraft.
“This milestone, paired with our commitment to rapidly roll out Starlink across our entire modern fleet, demonstrates our relentless pursuit of offering passengers an in-flight experience that transcends the constraints of traditional air travel,” stated Mohammed Al-Meer.
Available from gate to gate, Starlink is free for all Qatar Airways passengers. The airline is expected to exceed its initial target of three Starlink-equipped aircraft with 12 retrofitted 777-300s in service by the end of the year, with the entire 777 fleet to become Starlink-compatible one year ahead of schedule in 2025. Its Airbus A350 fleet will also follow suit in the summer of 2025.
“Over time you’ll find it just gets better and better. This is the minimum and it only gets better than here,” concluded Musk.
