American Air inks deal with Starlink for fastest Wi-Fi in the sky
Source: Mashable Tech
Deal Overview
American Airlines has inked a deal with Starlink to equip 500 of the airline’s planes with the satellite internet provider’s Wi‑Fi. In an announcement made today, American described Starlink as “the world’s most advanced satellite constellation” and highlighted its ability to deliver powerful broadband internet via thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit.
Technical Details
- Scope: Starlink will connect to American’s narrow‑body planes (smaller aircraft that typically fly shorter routes) beginning in the early months of 2027.
- Hardware: The connection will be made through Starlink’s Aero Terminal, which can support up to 1 Gbps of data per antenna.
- Provider: Starlink is part of Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Impact on Passengers
American promises that Starlink Wi‑Fi will enable travelers to:
- Smoothly access email
- Stream entertainment
- Conduct on‑camera work meetings
- Play online games
“American is committed to elevating every aspect of our customers’ travel journeys, which in the air means keeping them connected and comfortable with the assurance they won’t have to download documents ahead of a flight or worry about lag time,” said American Airlines Chief Customer Officer Heather Garboden. “Starlink’s high speed and low latency make the Wi‑Fi more reliable, which matters when customers are trying to load pages, join real‑time collaboration tools or stay connected consistently throughout a flight.”
Current Airline Wi‑Fi Landscape
- American’s existing providers: Viasat and Intelsat are used on the airline’s larger, wide‑body planes.
- Recent initiatives: In January, American announced it would start offering free AT&T Wi‑Fi for nearly all AAdvantage rewards members.
- Industry competition:
- Starlink already works with other major airlines, including United and Lufthansa.
- Amazon Leo, the satellite internet service from Amazon, will support Wi‑Fi on Delta planes starting in 2028.