SpaceX has significantly expanded its Starlink in-flight Wi-Fi service backlog following a substantial agreement with United Airlines, the company announced on Tuesday. This deal effectively doubles SpaceX’s previous order volume for its satellite-based connectivity.
Nick Galano, SpaceX’s Director of Starlink Aviation Sales and Partnerships, highlighted the impact of the deal during a panel at the World Space Business Week conference in Paris. “We are thrilled to have about 2,500 aircraft under contract now. What began as a startup has evolved into a service that we believe will greatly benefit passengers and airlines globally,” Galano said.
The agreement with United Airlines, which involves outfitting over 1,000 aircraft with Starlink, represents the largest in-flight connectivity (IFC) contract for the company to date. This deal will see United phase out its current IFC providers—Viasat, Panasonic, Thales, and Gogo—in favor of Starlink over the next several years.
SpaceX has previously secured in-flight connectivity contracts with several airlines, including Hawaiian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Zipair of Japan, Latvia’s airBaltic, and semi-private charter airline JSX. Since its launch in 2020, Starlink has expanded its services from consumer markets to include aviation and maritime sectors.
Currently, there are approximately 6,400 Starlink satellites in orbit, serving over 3 million customers across 100 countries. Galano emphasized the vast capacity of the Starlink network, noting that its current satellite constellation offers more than 300 terabits per second—reportedly over 100 times greater than legacy systems.
SpaceX continues to enhance its satellite network, launching new Starlink satellites approximately every three days this year. Additionally, Galano underscored the company’s efforts to streamline the antenna retrofitting process for aircraft, aiming to reduce installation time to under a day, as demonstrated with Hawaiian Airlines and JSX.
In comparison, Delta Air Lines, which relies on Viasat for its in-flight service, reported that its satellite retrofits take about three days on average. Delta’s retrofitting process involves replacing existing systems, while Starlink’s installations on Hawaiian’s fleet are more straightforward due to the absence of a pre-existing system.
Delta has also adopted a strategy of offering free Wi-Fi to members of its frequent flyer program, a move that has reportedly attracted 3 million new SkyMiles members. Both Delta and United are competing to attract high-end customers through their connectivity offerings.
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