American Airlines says it will bring Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, to every one of its mainline aircraft, more than 1,000 jets in all. The airline announced the plan on October 8 in a press release that says “Installations will begin in early 2027.” The fleet covers more than 500 Airbus narrowbodies, more than 400 Boeing narrowbodies and more than 130 Boeing widebodies, which the release totals at more than 1,030 aircraft.
What changes
The release says Starlink offers up to 1 Gbps per terminal, and that more than 165 million customers fly on a mainline American aircraft each year. The Points Guy says the airline’s May plan covered about 500 Airbus jets, so this more than doubles it, and that regional jets are not included. It also reports that the Wi-Fi is expected to stay free for AAdvantage members.
What is not known
Business Traveller reports that no completion date or program cost has been disclosed. The release does not state a cost to customers. Business Traveller quotes SpaceX’s Lauren Dreyer, vice president of Starlink business operations: “We’re thrilled to bring Starlink across American’s mainline fleet.”
Our take: this is a big win for Starlink on paper, with installs starting in early 2027 and no finish date yet. It also sits against Delta, which passed on Starlink Wi-Fi and chose Amazon’s Leo satellite service in March, starting with 500 aircraft in 2028, as we covered in Delta CEO Answers Musk’s Warning: “I Drive a Tesla”. The next signs to watch are a completion date and what passengers who are not AAdvantage members will get, and at what cost, if any.
