SpaceX · LEO Satellite
Starlink Aviation
SpaceX's Starlink Aviation puts a phased-array antenna on top of the plane and connects it to whichever low-orbit satellite is passing overhead. You get the same network powering home Starlink kits, with speeds around 200 Mbps and latency low enough that video calls actually work.
Which airlines have Starlink Aviation?
5 airlines with confirmed installations. Coverage = aircraft with Starlink Aviation ÷ total tracked fleet.
United Airlines
470 of 1,590 tails 30%
have Starlink Aviation
Qatar Airways
102 of 147 tails 69%
have Starlink Aviation
JSX
73 of 73 tails 100%
have Starlink Aviation
Alaska Airlines
50 of 279 tails 18%
have Starlink Aviation
Hawaiian Airlines
25 of 52 tails 48%
have Starlink Aviation
Hawaiian Airlines got there first. By September 2024 every Hawaiian A330 and A321neo had Starlink, the first fleet-wide install in commercial aviation. The 2026 rollout has gone vertical since. United has about 400 aircraft equipped, flew its first Starlink widebody from Newark to London in June 2026, and targets close to 1,000 planes by year-end. Alaska and Hawaiian passed 150 aircraft, covering the entire regional fleet plus the first 50 mainline 737s. Southwest put its first Starlink 737-800 into service on June 22, 2026 and plans 300+ by December. American signed in May 2026 to equip 500+ Airbus narrowbodies starting in early 2027. Qatar Airways finished its 777s and A350s and is now working through the 787s. JSX has had it fleet-wide since 2023. The two holdouts left: Delta and JetBlue, and both picked Amazon Leo instead.
Strengths
- Streaming-grade speeds (200+ Mbps)
- Low latency, so Zoom and FaceTime work the same as on the ground
- Global coverage, including oceans and polar routes
- Free on every airline that has installed it
- Doesn't drop on takeoff or landing
Drawbacks
- Newer service, so fewer aircraft equipped than legacy systems
- Retrofits take a few days of downtime per plane
- Most fleets are mid-rollout, so your specific tail may or may not have it
How fast is Starlink Aviation in flight?
Around 200 Mbps download with latency under 50ms in normal conditions. That's home-internet territory. HD Netflix works, Zoom works, and big file uploads finish before you land. Older satellite WiFi (Gogo 2Ku, Panasonic) tops out near 30 Mbps with 600+ms lag, which is why Starlink-equipped flights feel like a different product entirely. Capacity is shared with the rest of the cabin, so packed flights see speeds drop into the 30-50 Mbps range. Still faster than anything else in the air.
Is Starlink Aviation free?
Free almost everywhere, but the loyalty-login gate is spreading. JSX, ZIPAIR, Qatar Airways, Air France, Emirates, and Virgin Atlantic give it to everyone. United, WestJet, and now Alaska and Hawaiian require a free loyalty account (MileagePlus, WestJet Rewards, Atmos Rewards). Southwest broke the all-free streak in June 2026: free for Rapid Rewards members, $8 per device for everyone else.
Starlink Aviation FAQ
Which airlines have Starlink WiFi?
Hawaiian (every A330 and A321neo), United (about 400 aircraft including its first widebody, targeting 1,000 by end of 2026), Alaska (entire regional fleet plus 50 mainline 737s), Southwest (first 737s in service June 2026, 300+ by year-end), Qatar Airways (all 777s and A350s, 787s in progress), JSX (entire fleet), Virgin Atlantic (all A350s), Air France (about 60% of the fleet), WestJet, Air Canada (Dash 8-400 regionals), Emirates (25+ 777s and its first A380), British Airways (five aircraft, installs resume October 2026), and ZIPAIR. American starts installing on 500+ Airbus narrowbodies in early 2027. Lufthansa Group begins its 850-aircraft rollout in late 2026.
Is Starlink WiFi free on planes?
Free everywhere, though more carriers now ask for a free loyalty login first: United (MileagePlus), WestJet (WestJet Rewards), and Alaska and Hawaiian (Atmos Rewards, starting June 2026). Southwest is the first to charge anyone: Rapid Rewards members fly free, non-members pay $8 per device.
How fast is Starlink on a plane?
Around 200 Mbps download, latency under 50ms. Fast enough for HD streaming, video calls, gaming, and file uploads. Peak speeds approach 350 Mbps on empty flights.
Does Starlink work over oceans?
Yes. The satellites are overhead anywhere with a clear sky, including transpacific, transatlantic, and polar routes. Qatar runs it on Middle East-Asia routes. Hawaiian uses it on Honolulu-Sydney. Air-to-ground systems like Gogo ATG-4 don't work past the coast; Starlink does.
How do I know if my specific flight will have Starlink?
WiFi is installed per aircraft, not per flight number. The plane assigned to your booking can change up until departure. To check, find your flight's tail number (United, Hawaiian, and Alaska surface it in their apps) and look it up in our tail search. No tail yet? Check the aircraft type. A 737 MAX, A321neo, A330, A350, or 787 from any airline above has good odds.
When will every airline have Starlink?
SpaceX has over 40 signed contracts, but each install takes a few days of aircraft downtime so fleet-wide rollouts run 12-24 months. United targets close to 1,000 aircraft by end of 2026 and its full widebody fleet by summer 2027. Alaska finishes mainline in 2027. American's 500+ Airbus narrowbodies start in Q1 2027. Lufthansa Group runs through 2029. British Airways shows how these timelines slip: it equipped five planes, then paused until October 2026 because it couldn't spare the hangar time. Delta and JetBlue won't ever join; both signed with Amazon Leo.
Starlink vs Viasat vs Gogo, which is best?
Starlink wins on speed and latency. It's the only system fast enough for real-time video calls. Viasat Ka-band is the strongest geostationary option and free on JetBlue and Delta domestic. Gogo 2Ku and Panasonic eXConnect are mediocre Ku-band services in the 20-35 Mbps range. Gogo ATG-4 is the slowest at 3-10 Mbps and only works over land.
Why is Starlink so much faster than older airline WiFi?
Two things: closer satellites and more of them. Traditional in-flight WiFi uses geostationary satellites at 35,786 km. Round-trip signal latency alone is around 600ms. Starlink's satellites orbit at 550 km, 65 times closer, dropping latency under 50ms. And there are thousands of them, so capacity scales with the constellation instead of being capped by a handful of GEO beams.
Looking up your flight?
Enter a tail number to see the WiFi installed on a specific aircraft.
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