Yet another airline has just announced plans to introduce free Starlink Wi-Fi for passengers, as this will increasingly become the industry standard over the coming years.
In this post:
British Airways will offer free Starlink Wi-Fi
British Airways 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, British Airways 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.
British Airways claims that no special log-in will be required to use the service. That suggests that being a member of the carrier’s British Airways Club loyalty program won’t be a requirement to use the service. That otherwise counters the industry trend.
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.
Here’s how British Airways CEO Sean Doyle describes this development:
“We’re continuing to focus on transforming our customer experience. Launching Starlink on both our long-haul and short-haul aircraft is game-changing for us and our customers, elevating their experience on board our flights by offering them seamless connectivity from gate-to-gate. Especially on short-haul, this will really differentiate us from our competitors.”“With our new Wi-Fi powered by Starlink, our customers will be able to enjoy lightning-fast, low-lag internet from the moment they board to the moment they land - even over oceans and remote regions. It’s Wi-Fi that feels like home, even at 38,000 feet.”
British Airways already does pretty well with Wi-Fi, as the airline has Wi-Fi on just about its entire fleet, available at a cost. However, Starlink is not only faster, but will be complimentary. This announcement from British Airways comes shortly after UK rival Virgin Atlantic made a similar announcement.
British Airways’ Starlink Wi-Fi rollout plan
So, when should we expect Starlink to be introduced on British Airways? 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, though obviously British Airways has a large fleet of over 250 aircraft, so this could take some time.
Bottom line
British Airways will introduce free Starlink Wi-Fi, with installation expected to start in 2026. Unlike other airlines, British Airways won’t require passengers to be a member of the loyalty program to connect to the service.
It’s fantastic to see the pace at which airlines are introducing Starlink Wi-Fi. It does require some patience, though, since I imagine it’ll be at least a couple of years (and likely longer than that) before the entire fleet has this service.
Note that British Airways sister carrier Iberia has also announced Starlink installation plans, so it’s cool to see that this is a coordinated effort.
What do you make of British Airways introducing free Starlink Wi-Fi?
Starlink users enjoy far superior speeds, stability, reliability and lower latency (delay) due to arrays of low earth orbit (closer) satellites that enable gaming, streaming, and video calls that are rough or impractical on other providers like ViaSat that also has huge holes in its coverage. Starlink is a game-changer.
Starlink installs in four days vs 10 and weighs 85 vs 300 pounds with more streamlined antennae. It is more reliable with weather proof laser...
Starlink users enjoy far superior speeds, stability, reliability and lower latency (delay) due to arrays of low earth orbit (closer) satellites that enable gaming, streaming, and video calls that are rough or impractical on other providers like ViaSat that also has huge holes in its coverage. Starlink is a game-changer.
Starlink installs in four days vs 10 and weighs 85 vs 300 pounds with more streamlined antennae. It is more reliable with weather proof laser switching between far more numerous and optimal satellites.
So far Air France, Air New Zealand, Alaska/Hawaiian Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways, SAS, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic among airlines going with Starlink.
Morning Elon
"British Airways already does pretty well with Wi-Fi, as the airline has Wi-Fi on just about its entire fleet, available at a cost."
On the huge fleet of A320s it's basically just Messaging available on wifi. If it's actually working at all......8 flights around Europe this year, messaging only working on 2 :(
didn't BA just put viasat (or equivalent) on many of their widebodies? I was on a 788 this summer that still hadn't gotten the wifi.
That airframe probably could not support the power requirement …. :-)
A350 & A380 have no such restrictions …. :-)
It's been ages since "British Airways" and "free" have been used in the same sentence...
Wonder if this is the prelude to removing IFE from long haul aircraft which would obviously save opex and capex in the long run.
Agree, there was also some news a couple of months ago about a trial to remove free water bottles and get people to bring their own entertainment or something like that.