SpaceX Inks Deal To Provide Wi-Fi Internet On United Airlines Flights

NEWARK, NJ — United Airlines has reached a deal with SpaceX to provide wi-fi service to its airplanes. The price for customers? Free, the airline says.

On Friday, United announced that it has inked an agreement with SpaceX, the Elon Musk-founded company that owns the Starlink satellite internet constellation.

United expects to have Starlink on all of its aircraft – more than 1,000 planes – “over the next several years,” the company said. In addition to using Starlink connectivity on personal devices, United customers also will have access on their seatback screens.

The new service will also be used by United's front-line employees, including pilots, flight attendants, technicians and gate agents.

Testing begins in early 2025, with the first passenger flights expected later that year.

United will be the first carrier in the world to commit to offering Starlink service at this scale, the company said.

“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 CEO Scott Kirby said.

United has a headquarters in Chicago and maintains a hub at Newark Liberty International Airport.

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