SpaceX currently has deals to install Starlink on more than 2,500 aircraft. The surge in orders follows a landmark agreement with United Airlines, which nearly doubled its backlog of Starlink Aviation orders.
During the World Space Business Week conference in Paris, Nick Galano, SpaceX’s director of Starlink aviation sales and partnerships, shared the news that Starlink now has contracts for about 2,500 aircraft. (via CNBC)
United Airlines announced earlier this week it plans to equip its entire fleet of over 1,000 aircraft with Starlink’s high-speed internet, providing free onboard Wi-Fi to passengers.
This move not only marks Starlink’s largest agreement to date but also signifies a shift in the airline’s strategy, as it will phase out existing partnerships with multiple legacy providers, including Viasat and Gogo.
For United Airlines, the appeal of Starlink lies in its advanced technology compared to its competitors.
“The actual satellite terminal is much smaller and easier to set up than the ones United currently uses. It’s another great example of where Starlink is pretty incredible. It’s really well-engineered. It’s a very simple product. It’s much simpler than what we already have on the airplane. The [satellite systems that use] geosynchronous orbits have moving parts inside. The antennas track the satellites as the plane is flying. Starlink doesn’t need that. There’s no more moving parts inside the Starlink modules. It’s very modular,” said United’s Chief Customer Officer Linda Jojo in an interview with TechCrunch.
The integration of Starlink’s technology is also designed to be more efficient than existing systems. SpaceX aims to reduce installation times for new antennas, which can often require aircraft to be out of service for extended periods. Starlink’s approach has already demonstrated successful installations in under a day on fleets like Hawaiian Airlines and JSX.
