United Installs Elon Musk’s Starlink on First Regional Aircraft

United Airlines said Friday that it installed Elon Musk’s Starlink Wi-Fi on its first regional aircraft, kicking off a process to outfit the satellite technology throughout its fleet. 

The carrier aims to finish installing Starlink throughout its entire two-cabin regional fleet by the end of the year. United said it expects to equip over 40 regional aircraft a month from May until the end of the year. 

United is the largest airline in the U.S. to sign a contract with Starlink. The service will be free — the carrier currently charges $8 for in-flight Wi-Fi to MileagePlus members and $10 to nonmembers. 

Passengers will be able to access live TV and streaming, shop online, browse social media and use multiple devices at the same time. 

In the U.S., Hawaiian Airlines, which was acquired by Alaska Airlines last year, and JSX also use Starlink on their respective fleets. 

A Push for Premium Travelers

United’s shift to Starlink is part of a broader strategy to attract more business and premium travelers with fast and free Wi-Fi. 

“Starlink is one of the most obvious high-profile investments for customers that's really just the visible tip of the iceberg,” United CEO Scott Kirby said during a call with analysts January 22.

United chief commercial officer Andrew Nocella said during the call that premium passenger revenues were up 10% for the fourth quarter and flown business revenue grew 16%. 

Airlines are starting to make their in-flight Wi-Fi free. Delta Air Lines announced in August that it would make its Wi-Fi free across its global network. American Airlines is planning to test complimentary in-flight Wi-Fi on three flights, according to a report from CNBC.

More airlines are also inking deals with Starlink, which is owned by SpaceX. Air France announced last year that it would install Starlink throughout its fleet. Latvia-based airBaltic became the first European carrier to use Starlink and plans to offer the free, high-speed connectivity across its entire fleet by the end of the year. 

Qatar Airways recently confirmed that around half of its widebody fleet now offers Starlink Wi-Fi.