SpaceX nearly doubled its backlog of Starlink in-flight Wi-Fi orders following a major deal with United Airlines last week, according to Nick Galano, SpaceX’s director of Starlink aviation sales and partnerships.
Speaking at the World Space Business Week conference in Paris, Galano revealed, “We now have about 2,500 aircraft under contract, transitioning what started as a small venture into a rapidly growing service that will resonate with passengers and airlines worldwide.”
The world's most advanced high-speed Wi-Fi is coming to United with @Starlink. For free.
— United Airlines (@united) September 13, 2024
You’ll be able to stream, game, shop and more on seatback screens and personal devices simultaneously. Expect the same internet you get on the ground… at 35,000 feet. We expect to have… pic.twitter.com/M6ZihBBEnb
Starlink, the satellite internet division of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is aggressively expanding into the in-flight connectivity (IFC) market. United Airlines’ recent decision to equip its fleet of over 1,000 planes with Starlink Wi-Fi, free of charge for passengers, marks the largest IFC agreement for Starlink to date.
As United transitions to Starlink, it will phase out its current Wi-Fi providers—Viasat, Panasonic, Thales, and Gogo—over the next several years. Starlink has already secured deals and started service with other airlines, including Hawaiian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Japan’s Zipair, Latvia’s airBaltic, and JSX, a semi-private charter airline.
