From PC Mag: The Chicago-based carrier announced Friday morning that it will add SpaceX’s satellite-delivered broadband to its entire fleet of more than a thousand aircraft, including both mainline and regional planes, starting in 2025.
The service will be free and available gate to gate, similar to other airlines offering Starlink access. United’s announcement says it will start testing this system “in early 2025,” with Starlink connectivity on passenger flights “expected later that year.”
The deal is the biggest sign-up yet in commercial aviation for SpaceX’s low-Earth-orbit satellite constellation. Among US airlines, only Hawaiian Airlines and the boutique air carrier JSX offer Starlink onboard; internationally, it’s available or coming soon at Qatar Airways, Canada’s WestJet, the Japanese long-haul airline Zipair, the European regional operator airBaltic and on Air New Zealand’s domestic fleet.
“Everything you can do on the ground, you'll soon be able to do onboard a United plane at 35,000 feet, just about anywhere in the world,” United’s press release quotes CEO Scott Kirby. “This connectivity opens the door for an even better inflight entertainment experience, in every seatback – more content, that's more personalized.”
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