In recent times, we’ve seen many airlines announce plans to introduce Starlink Wi-Fi. Another airline has just revealed plans to roll out this service, and it makes perfect sense when you consider who the CEO is…
In this post:
Gulf Air introducing Starlink Wi-Fi as of mid-2026
Gulf Air, the national airline of Bahrain, has announced plans to introduce free Starlink Wi-Fi across its entire fleet. The first Airbus A320-family aircraft is expected to get the service as of mid-2026, and it’s not yet known how long it’ll take for the entire fleet to be fitted with Starlink.
As it stands, the airline has roughly 45 aircraft, including Airbus A320-family and Boeing 787 planes. In theory it should be possible to roll out this service pretty quickly, assuming the 787-9s get certified for Starlink, as that’s expected in the coming months.
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, British Airways, Emirates, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, Korean Air, Lufthansa Group, Qatar Airways, SAS, United, Virgin Atlantic, and WestJet, all announce plans to install the service.
Here’s how Gulf Air CEO Martin Gauss describes this development:
“With Starlink on board, Gulf Air is bringing next-generation in-flight connectivity to all passengers, whether traveling for leisure or business. From boarding until arrival, customers can stream, game, work, or stay in touch with loved ones, regardless of cabin or ticket type. This upgrades the entire travel experience and reinforces our commitment to delivering premium, seamless connectivity for every journey.”
I’m curious to see what else is coming from Gulf Air
Several months back, Gulf Air appointed Martin Gauss as CEO, after he was fired from airBaltic. Two things stand out.
First of all, it’s not surprising to see Gulf Air embracing Starlink, given that airBaltic was one of the first airlines in the world to sign-up for Starlink, and Gauss was the guy behind that.
Second of all, I’m very excited to see what else happens at Gulf Air under Gauss, beyond Starlink. Admittedly he has only been in his role for a short time, so I imagine nothing radical will change overnight. However, I have a lot of respect for him, and I’m curious if he can carve out a niche in the challenging Middle East market, when you’re competing against such heavy hitters.
While Gulf Air may be an unknown carrier to many people nowadays, it has an incredible amount of history, as it used to be the biggest and most global airline in the Gulf region. The airline was founded in 1974, when Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and Oman, got together to invest in existing Bahraini airline Gulf Aviation, to create a flag carrier for the four states.
Suffice it to say that the dynamics in the region have changed, and that really started with Dubai launching Emirates in 1985, chipping away at Gulf Air’s market share and dominance. Of course we then also saw Qatar launch Qatar Airways, Abu Dhabi launch Etihad, and Oman launch Oman Air.
As that happened, Gulf Air’s importance in the region continued to shrink, as it struggled to compete with peers and innovate. The airline has been undergoing a transformation in recent times, and now we’re seeing the airline launching New York (JFK) flights, greatly increasing its Boeing 787-9 fleet, and more. I have a lot of faith in Gauss, and I look forward to seeing what he can pull off.
Bottom line
Gulf Air plans to roll out free Starlink Wi-Fi across its fleet as of mid-2026. The A320-family aircraft are expected to be the first to get the service, and hopefully the 787s aren’t too far behind. This is a very nice passenger experience development, and I hope we see more from Gulf Air in the near future, especially given the carrier’s growth plans.
What do you make of Gulf Air’s Starlink announcement?
Kudos to GF for finally jumping on board the Starlink bandwagon, and becoming the first boutique airline in the Gulf to do so — now that QR is mostly done with its Starlink retrofit, and EK and FZ will start soon.
But there’s still a long way to go in terms of premium passenger experience, and the relative lack of brand recognition compared to, say, Oman Air or Saudia does not help. How about joining...
Kudos to GF for finally jumping on board the Starlink bandwagon, and becoming the first boutique airline in the Gulf to do so — now that QR is mostly done with its Starlink retrofit, and EK and FZ will start soon.
But there’s still a long way to go in terms of premium passenger experience, and the relative lack of brand recognition compared to, say, Oman Air or Saudia does not help. How about joining the Star Alliance? There’s no member from the GCC, and it remains one of the few gaps in its network coverage. GF’s previous CEO was Star’s previous CEO, after all...
Every airline should have complimentary, reliable on-board WiFi for all customers. If Starlink can get it done, then, please, by all means, do it.
it is important to note that EASA - the European regulator - has approved Starlink on 787s which the FAA has not done.
Why is that, Tim?
You'd think with all the DOGE-ing, Elon would've all-but-guaranteed Starlink approvals by now.
maybe because the feds actually work based on their capacity and first in first out priorities rather than the political motivation that you and others think happens
Tim, if so, then a little faith in humanity is restored, because, the important work at the FAA and elsewhere should not be corrupted.
Elon is a proto-fascist pig and I eagerly cheer every misfortune that befalls him