Earlier, I covered how British Airways announced plans to introduce free Starlink Wi-Fi as of 2026. Iberia has just made a similar announcement, so let’s cover those details. The timing is no coincidence, since British Airways and Iberia are owned by the same parent company, IAG, so obviously this was part of a larger deal.
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Iberia will offer free Starlink Wi-Fi
Iberia has signed an agreement with SpaceX, to introduce Starlink Wi-Fi throughout its fleet, including on long haul and short haul aircraft. Best of all, Iberia plans to offer Starlink Wi-Fi for free for all passengers. It’ll be possible to connect with multiple devices, including laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
Starlink is known for its high-speed, low-latency broadband internet, and the service will be offered gate to gate. Starlink Wi-Fi will allow for live streaming, productivity similar to on the ground (with high upload and download speeds), gaming, e-commerce, and more.
Starlink is becoming increasingly popular with airlines. So far we’ve seen carriers like airBaltic, Air France, Air New Zealand, Hawaiian Airlines, Qatar Airways, SAS, United, Virgin Atlantic, and WestJet, all announce plans to install the service. What’s also great about Starlink is that the installation process is pretty quick, once aircraft are certified to have it installed.
Iberia already does pretty well with Wi-Fi, as the airline has connectivity on just about its entire fleet, available at a cost. However, Starlink is not only faster, but will be complimentary. This announcement makes Iberia the first major Spanish airline to announce Starlink installation plans.
Iberia’s Starlink Wi-Fi rollout plan
So, when should we expect Starlink to be introduced on Iberia? The current expectation is that the airline will begin installing this service as of some point in 2026. However, the airline has stopped short of providing any additional details.
We don’t know when in 2026 the service will start to be installed, which planes will get Starlink first, and how long it’ll take until the entire fleet is fitted with the service. Starlink Wi-Fi can be rolled out pretty quickly once it’s certified on a particular aircraft. Iberia’s mainline fleet consists of just under 100 aircraft, all Airbus, including the A320, A330, and A350 family of aircraft. So at least the airline has a pretty streamlined fleet, which should make the installation process a bit more straightforward.
Bottom line
Iberia will introduce free Starlink Wi-Fi, with installation expected to start in 2026. It’s awesome to see the pace at which airlines are introducing Starlink. It does require some patience, though, since I imagine it’ll be at least a couple of years before the entire fleet has this service.
What do you make of Iberia introducing free Starlink Wi-Fi?
Synergy between BA and Iberia
, yet whilst Air France is upgrading to starlink there’s no sign of KLM doing anything.
It’s interesting to see that every airline installing Starlink is from North America and Europe, with the exception of Qatar Airways. I wonder why airlines in Asia-Pacific haven’t considered Starlink so far. (There’s also Air New Zealand, but initially only for domestic flights.) Probably due to Starlink coverage issues over China.
It’s interesting to see that every airline installing Starlink is from North America and Europe, with the exception of Qatar Airways. I wonder why airlines in Asia-Pacific haven’t considered Starlink so far. (There’s also Air New Zealand, but initially only for domestic flights.) Probably due to Starlink coverage issues over China.