United Airlines accelerating plans to add Starlink-powered Wi-Fi on its planes in spring 2025

United Airlines has announced it will be accelerating the timeline of bringing SpaceX Starlink satellite connectivity onboard its plans to United travelers across the world.

2

The airline now expects to be testing Starlink connectivity for on-board Wi-Fi next month, with its first commercial flight anticipated to take off in spring 2025 on the United Embraer E-175 aircraft. United now plans to outfit its entire two-cabin regional fleet before the end of 2025, and have its first mainline Starlink-enabled plane in the air before the year is finished.

In the end, United has plans to add Starlink to its entire fleet. Access to Starlink will be free for all MileagePlus customers, including game-changing in-flight entertainment experiences like streaming content, shopping, gaming, and more.

Richard Nunn, CEO of United MileagePlus, said: "We have a lot planned for our MileagePlus members this year and adding Starlink to as many planes as we can - as quickly as we can - is at the center of it all. It's not only going to revolutionize the experience of flying United, but it's also going to unlock tons of new partnerships and benefits for our members that otherwise wouldn't be possible".

• Read more: SpaceX to deploy model next-gen Starlink satellites on its new Starship launch

United signed the industry's largest agreement of its kind with SpaceX to bring Starlink connectivity to its entire fleet in September 2024, with United customers to enjoy the same high-speed, low-latency satellite internet service while flying in the air, just like they would on the ground. United says that this ground-to-ground connectivity will "enable experiences in the sky at scale that no other major U.S. airline provides, on seatback screens and personal devices simultaneously".