SpaceX has signed another customers for its Starlink Aviation service. On Monday Japan’s Zipair Tokyo announced they are adding Starlink to their fleet of aircraft, becoming the first airline in the Asia-Pacific region to sign on as a Starlink customer.
In a press release Zipair said the addition of Starlink to their aircraft will “revolutionize the flying experience” by providing passengers with the same, or faster internet speeds than they experience at home.
“Once integrated, all ZIPAIR passengers will be able to seamlessly connect to Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency network anytime onboard – enabling real-time video conferencing, streaming, and gaming for all passengers. As the first Asian airline to implement Starlink, ZIPAIR is setting a new standard for in-flight connectivity, and we’re excited to work with the company to provide this modern in-flight connectivity experience,” said SpaceX Vice President of Starlink Sales Jonathan Hofeller.
No timeline was given for when the first Zipair flight with Starlink service will take place, but the airline said they are working with SpaceX to conduct an engineering review and work through the regulatory certification process before the installation can take place.
According to the Zipair website they currently operate flights from its base in Narita to Seoul, Bangkok, Singapore, Honolulu, Los Angeles, and San Jose. The airline is a low-cost carrier owned by Japan Airlines, and currently has four Boeing 787 Dreamliner as part of its fleet. The airline expects to receive another 8 Boeing 787 Dreamliners in the coming months.
With the addition of Zipair as a Starlink customers, SpaceX has been able to secure deals with four airlines, just months after launching their Starlink Aviation service. Other airlines that have come onboard include Hawaiian Airlines, JSX, and airBaltic.
