United Airlines: FAA approval for the first aircraft with Starlink Wi-Fi

The US airline United Airlines has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its first Starlink-equipped aircraft and is planning its first commercial flight for May of this year. United Airlines made the announcement on Monday.

According to a statement from the airline, the FAA issued a supplemental type certificate for the Embraer E-175, a short-haul aircraft from Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer. The first commercial flight equipped with Starlink is to take place on board a United Express flight with this aircraft type, which has a maximum of 88 seats. Until the first customer flight in May, United says it will beta test the new technology on selected flights "to ensure that all aspects provide an incredible experience for passengers on board".

"We know customers will love this experience, and we believe it will give them another reason to choose United," said Grant Milstead, United's vice president of digital technology. "We're working closely with Starlink and the FAA to complete the installations across our regional fleet this year and bring the best in-flight experience to more and more people."

Starlink for the entire regional fleet

The Chicago-based airline plans to equip approximately 40 regional aircraft per month with Starlink's high-speed satellite Internet and expects to complete the entire regional fleet, which includes more than 300 aircraft, by the end of the year. United also announced it is working with Starlink, which is operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to obtain FAA approval to install Starlink internet on the more than 16 United aircraft models.

As the airline announced earlier this year, Starlink Wi-Fi service will eventually be available on all flights and will be free for frequent flyer program members. Starlink access offers Wi-Fi speeds of up to 250 megabits per second (Mbps). This is 50 times faster than the current speed on regional aircraft, United Airlines emphasizes, and thus promises "a completely new in-flight entertainment experience", such as streaming services or games.

United: Starlink offers advantages

The agreement with SpaceX to offer Starlink in-flight internet services across its fleet of more than 1,000 aircraft over the next few years was announced by United Airlines in September last year.

Earlier this month, United outlined the Starlink installation process and emphasized the technical operational advantages of Starlink equipment, "including size and weight, as well as ease of installation and maintenance. The Starlink system is faster and easier to install than other providers, is lighter and more reliable and uses less fuel, United Airlines said.

Starlink is already being used by the first airlines. After the regional US airline JSX, Hawaiian Airlines, Air Baltic and Zipair are now also using the service. In May 2024, Qatar Airways was the first major airline to announce that it would equip three Boeing 777s with satellite internet from Starlink. United Airlines is now the first major US airline to use Starlink. The US airline Delta Air Lines has been offering free Wi-Fi access on international flights since last summer. For international routes, Delta equips its long-haul aircraft with satellite technology from Viasat. T-Mobile is also on board as the Internet provider. Free Wi-Fi has been available on Delta's US routes since 2023.

(akn)