Today’s world is a world of constant communication. At any time and any place, we expect fast and stable access to the Internet; But this expectation is often faced with serious problems in air travel. In-flight internet is often slow, unstable and expensive; But it seems that this situation will soon undergo fundamental changes. United Airlines, in cooperation with SpaceX and Starlink technology, plans to offer a new experience of connecting to the Internet in the sky.
Anticipating passengers’ growing need for high-speed Internet, United Airlines has accelerated its plans to equip its fleet with Starlink satellite Internet. According to United Airlines, the first commercial flights equipped with this technology will begin in the spring of 2025. This is despite the fact that earlier this process was expected to be done with more delay. The first aircraft to be equipped with this technology will be the Embraer E-175 regional narrowbody aircraft with a capacity of up to 88 passengers.
United Airlines plans are very ambitious. The company plans to equip its entire regional fleet with Starlink Internet by the end of 2025. Also, the first main plane equipped with this technology will fly before the end of this year. The ultimate goal is to equip the company’s entire fleet of approximately 1,000 vehicles with Starlink high-speed Internet.
Currently, United Airlines uses four different Wi-Fi service providers: Intelsat (formerly Gogo), Panasonic and Viast and Starlink. Among these providers, Viast performs the best in terms of speed and is also commonly found on American Airlines and Delta flights.
Starlink promises much higher speed by providing download speeds between 40 and 220 Mbps and upload speeds between 8 and 25 Mbps for each terminal. This speed provides the possibility of video streaming and online gaming and even video conferencing at an altitude of several thousand feet.
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Another important point is the free Starlink Internet offering to members of the United Airlines MileagePlus loyalty program. This action not only improves the flight experience for passengers; Rather, it provides new opportunities for cooperation and providing more benefits to members.
While many international airlines have announced similar plans to add Starlink to their fleets, United Airlines is the first major U.S. domestic airline to seriously embrace the technology. This action can be a turning point in the provision of Internet services in flights and significantly increase the expectations of passengers for high-speed and stable connection in the sky.
