One of the largest airlines in the U.S. has decided to switch to one of the newest in-flight internet vendors as United is deploying Starlink across its fleet. The move makes United one of the few airlines that have committed to the service, and the largest American carrier to do so.
As we all know, Hawaiian Airlines became the first full-service airline to begin offering Starlink in-flight internet. However, because the service is so new, Hawaiian had to handle the type certification with the FAA. The first aircraft to receive connectivity in their fleet was the A321neo, which gained full deployment earlier this year, while the A330s just finished their installations. Unfortunately, Hawaiian’s 787s aren’t receiving Starlink anytime soon, presumably because there aren’t enough frames to conduct certification and installation. However, that could change in the near future as United is deploying Starlink across its fleet, and will inevitably end up certifying several different aircraft types.
United is Deploying Starlink Across Its Fleet
We learned in an announcement last Friday that United is deploying Starlink across its fleet. Now, it’s worth noting that this appears to apply only to the airline’s mainline fleet and not commuter aircraft like CRJs and ERJs. That said, United confirms that all 1,000 of its current and upcoming mainline aircraft will receive Starlink, regardless of if they already have seat-back IFE or WiFi supplied by a different supplier. Plus, like with Hawaiian’s implementation, Starlink will be available gate-to-gate free of charge to all passengers.
Naturally, I’m sure you all want to know WHEN this is going to happen. Well, United says that they’ll begin testing in “early 2025” and that passenger flights will commence later that year. I can only assume that “testing” actually refers to type certification, as most of United’s aircraft aren’t certified for Starlink use yet. I believe Qatar Airways is in the process of getting approvals to install Starlink on their Boeing 777-300ERs, Zipair is doing the same for their 787-8s, and Air New Zealand is working on their A320s and ATR 72s.
It’s worth noting that United does operate the A321neo, too. So, perhaps their “testing” is really just internal testing and that they’ll rollout Starlink on their A321neos, A320s, and A319s first? But this is all just speculation. United has a very large fleet dominated by Boeing aircraft. In fact, as of this writing, they are the second largest 787 operator in the world, behind only ANA.
At any rate, if their testing truly does mean certification, then United could beat Hawaiian to that work, which would mean Hawaiian no longer has to worry about certifying the type and could begin installations when they’re ready to. Of course, with Hawaiian being acquired by Alaska Air, whether or not they’ll actually install Starlink on the 787s is a whole different discussion at this point.
Final Thoughts
I’m sure regular fliers are stoked that United is deploying Starlink across its fleet. However, as these things go, it’s not going to be a quick process. The airline states that the full rollout will take “several years” to complete. So, it may be some time before we see widespread availability. But when it does become available, it’ll be great, as people I know who have experience Starlink on Hawaiian all say it really is FAST. The better speeds and the fact that it’ll be free is such a step up over older solutions.
Now, going back to speculation, if I had the authority to create United’s installation strategy, I’d prioritize the A320 family first and then jump to long-haul aircraft, such as the 787s, 777s, and 767s. But, again, we’ll see what ultimately happens. For what it’s worth, though, I’ve heard that United is already flying two 787s with Starlink equipment for certification purposes.
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