SpaceX has significantly increased the cost of equipping business jets with Starlink internet, raising both the upfront hardware price and monthly subscription fees.
Customers looking to install Starlink Aviation on a private or business jet will now pay up to US$200,000 for the required hardware and installation package, a substantial increase from the US$145,000 price listed last year. At the same time, operators using the company’s premium global connectivity plan will see their monthly subscription double from US$10,000 to US$20,000. (via Sawyer Merritt)
Monthly plans see major overhaul
Along with the hardware increase, SpaceX has restructured its Business Aviation service plans.
The former Aviation Jet Unlimited plan has been renamed Aviation Global Unlimited, but the biggest change is its price, which has doubled to US$20,000 per month.
The entry-level offering has also changed. Aviation Jet 20GB, previously priced at US$2,000 per month, has become Aviation Regional 25GB and now costs US$4,000 per month while offering a modest increase in included data.
SpaceX has also introduced a new middle-tier option called Aviation Regional Unlimited, priced at US$12,500 per month. The plan provides unlimited data but only while operating within a single continental region, such as North America.
The company says the revised lineup is intended to better align with how operators use connectivity on regional and international flights. Existing customers will transition to the new plans beginning with billing cycles on or after August 7.
Small aircraft owners already felt the impact
The latest increases also follow changes that affected general aviation customers earlier this year.
In March, SpaceX ended support for using its Starlink Roam service on aircraft travelling faster than 100 mph, effectively eliminating a lower-cost option that many small aircraft owners had been using. Pilots were instead required to switch to dedicated General Aviation plans, which are more expensive and include data limits.
That decision drew criticism from some owners who saw their operating costs rise overnight. However, SpaceX heard the feedback and lowered prices and added significantly more data.
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