American Airlines to Equip Entire Mainline Fleet With Starlink Wi-Fi in 2027

Full Fleet Rollout

American Airlines will equip its entire mainline fleet with Starlink Wi-Fi starting in 2027, the company announced. The rollout will cover all narrowbody and widebody aircraft, totaling more than 1,030 planes, and will deliver speeds of up to 1Gbps through Starlink's Performance Aero Terminal.

Doubling Earlier Commitment

SpaceX previously signed a contract with American, but in May the airline quoted a figure of 500 aircraft. The new announcement more than doubles that number. The expansion means American's more than 165 million annual customers should have access to fast and reliable satellite Wi-Fi during flights, a significant improvement over previous connectivity methods.

Shifting Airline Strategy

The move marks a pivot from American's earlier Wi-Fi strategy, which last year included a deal with AT&T to bring high-speed Wi-Fi to members of its AAdvantage loyalty program. Despite losing out to Amazon Leo in the competition for Delta's business earlier this year, SpaceX and Starlink appear to be winning the broader in-flight satellite Wi-Fi race. Amazon Leo's rollout is not expected to begin until 2028.

Starlink's Growing Airline Footprint

Starlink's agreement with American adds to the 724 United Airlines aircraft already running its service, representing around 41 percent of United's fleet. Globally, Starlink has now partnered with 48 airlines.

Sources: Engadget