United Airlines said Friday that it plans to offer inflight Wi-Fi from SpaceX’s Starlink for free on its hundreds of jetliners, the biggest inflight internet deal yet for the SpaceX business.
The team-up comes as airlines have been investing in faster inflight Wi-Fi.
Delta Air Lines announced in early 2023 that onboard internet would be free for members of its SkyMiles loyalty program. Hawaiian Airlines, which has a deal with Starlink, also offers complimentary inflight Wi-Fi. JetBlue Airways has offered free Wi-Fi for years.
SpaceX also previously made a deal with semi-private airline JSX.
SpaceX has steadily expanded its Starlink network and product offerings since its debut in 2020. There are currently about 6,000 Starlink satellites in orbit that connect more than 3 million customers in 100 countries, according to the company. SpaceX initially targeted consumer customers, but has expanded into other markets, including aviation.