Qatar Airways has started its first flight using a Boeing 777 with Starlink internet service
Qatar Airways started its first Boeing 777 flight with Elon Musk’s Starlink internet on Tuesday. They also said that the rest of their planes will have this service by 2025.
Starlink Connectivity
Qatar Airways has announced that it will exceed its original goal of having three planes equipped with Starlink by adding 12 Boeing 777-300s with the service by the end of 2024.
The airline also stated that it plans to install Starlink on all its Boeing 777 aircraft by 2025, one year earlier than planned. The Airbus A350 fleet will be upgraded next in the summer of 2025.
The first flight using this service was from Doha to London. During this flight, Qatar Airways’ CEO, Badr Mohammed Al Meer, made a video call to Starlink founder Elon Musk to celebrate the occasion.
Al Meer said, “This achievement, along with our commitment to quickly expand Starlink on our modern fleet, shows our dedication to providing a better in-flight experience for passengers.”
The statement also noted that Qatar Airways is the first airline in the region to offer passengers free Starlink internet, which is very fast and reliable, from the moment they leave the gate until they arrive at their destination.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, mentioned, “Over time, you’ll find it just gets better and better. This is the minimum, and it will only improve from here.”
Other Airlines
In September, United Airlines announced that starting next year, its planes will offer free in-flight Wi-Fi using Starlink internet service. They will test this service in early 2025 before rolling it out to more flights later that year.
The airline mentioned that all passengers on its over 1,000 planes can use the free service and connect multiple devices at the same time.
Other airlines, like Hawaiian Airlines, JSX, airBaltic, and ZIPAIR Tokyo, have also made deals with SpaceX to provide internet on their flights.
In October, Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran told CNBC that fast and reliable Wi-Fi will soon be common on major airlines as they compete to improve services for travelers.
Air New Zealand said last year that it plans to launch Starlink on two of its domestic planes by late 2024.
SpaceX’s Starlink uses around 6,000 satellites to provide high-speed and low-latency internet.
Published: 23rd October 2024
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