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American Airlines passengers could begin to connect to in-flight Wi-Fi through SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network next year. The airline announced Tuesday that it signed a deal with Elon Musk’s aerospace company to install Starlink internet across its Airbus fleet in 2027, which includes more than 500 narrowbody aircraft.
Commercial flights drive heavy internet usage, as passengers work on cloud-based documents or stream movies and TV shows, activities that require substantial data and reliable Wi-Fi connectivity.
Starlink is among the fastest in-flight internet options, with reported speeds nearly twice those of the next-closest competitor and comparable to or faster than some terrestrial broadband services. More than 10,000 satellites in low Earth orbit drive the system’s performance. By operating much closer to Earth than traditional satellites, they reduce latency — the time it takes for data to travel.
CNET senior writer Jeff Carlson tested Starlink’s in-flight internet on United Airlines and was impressed by the internet experience. “Honestly, I’d think I was at home on my high-speed fiber internet if not for the cabin noise and the occasional tight banking turn,” he wrote.
Which airlines have Starlink service
American is one of the world’s largest carriers by passenger volume, making it a significant contract win for SpaceX, which previously announced Starlink partnerships with United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines. Once American outfits the planes with Starlink technology, SpaceX’s service will be operating on more than 2,300 commercial aircraft.
Despite partnering with many of the largest international airlines, SpaceX doesn’t have a Starlink deal with airline giant Delta Air Lines, which is instead partnering with Amazon for its in-flight Wi-Fi service, which is expected to go into service later this year. Delta CEO Ed Bastian told Bloomberg that Amazon Leo is cheaper than SpaceX’s Starlink and includes a suite of streaming content.
The American-Starlink partnership comes just days after SpaceX’s filing for an initial public offering. SpaceX’s scope of operations recently expanded after a merger with another one of Musk’s companies, xAI. Analysts value the company at nearly $2 trillion and expect it could raise as much as $75 billion when it goes public, setting an IPO record and making Musk the world’s first trillionaire.
Representatives for SpaceX and American Airlines did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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