United Airlines will add Starlink internet services to its flights by mid-2025, with testing beginning next month.
SpaceX, Starlink’s parent company, agreed to partner with United in September. Starlink services will be available for free to United’s MileagePlus members.
"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," said United MileagePlus CEO Richard Nunn. “It's not only going to revolutionise the experience of flying United, but it's also going to unlock tons of new partnerships and benefits for our members that otherwise wouldn't be possible.”
The first United commercial flights equipped with Starlink will take off this spring, from around March to May. The airline’s Embraer E-175 aircraft will be the first to include the service.
The airline will fully outfit its two-cabin regional fleet with Starlink and begin adding the service to its mainline planes by the end of 2025. United plans to add Starlink to its entire fleet.
United’s current in-flight internet providers are Gogo, Panasonic, Thales, and ViaSat. Its Embraer E-175s use Gogo’s internet service, which is only active above 10,000 feet.
Air France also aims to add Starlink to its fleet from 2025. Airlines including Qatar Airways and Westjet agreed to partner with Starlink last year.
United Airlines Holdings’ (NASDAQ: UAL) share price closed at US$95.67 on Friday, up from its previous close at $95.43. Its market capitalisation is US$31.46 billion.