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United Airlines today announced a major milestone in its partnership with SpaceX’ Starlink, as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officially certified the airline’s first mainline aircraft equipped with Starlink Wi-Fi. The first commercial flight featuring the new high-speed internet service is scheduled to take off on October 15th, departing from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) on a Boeing 737-800.
This milestone comes less than five months after United successfully launched its first Starlink-equipped regional customer flight and under a year after signing the largest agreement in the airline industry with SpaceX to bring Starlink connectivity to both its mainline and regional fleets.
United’s rollout of Starlink is set to deliver free, fast Wi-Fi to all MileagePlus® members. Starlink’s technology offers download speeds of up to 250 Mbps, making it possible for passengers to stream movies, play games, shop online, and access entertainment without buffering or interruptions. MileagePlus® membership is required to access Starlink for free. Customers can register ahead of their flight here.
The initial response from regional flights has been overwhelmingly positive, with 90% of customers reporting high satisfaction due to Starlink’s ease of use, speed, and reliability. This strong feedback highlights the potential for a game-changing inflight experience as Starlink expands across United’s global network.
The FAA’s approval comes in the form of a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) amendment for the Boeing 737-800, enabling the system to be safely installed and operated on United’s mainline fleet. This certification validates the design, installation, and testing process undertaken by United and SpaceX to ensure that the system meets stringent safety and reliability standards.
Starlink’s hardware offers several operational benefits for United:
- Lightweight equipment, improving aircraft fuel efficiency.
- Simplified installation process, reducing aircraft downtime during upgrades.
- Weather-proofed design, ensuring reliable connectivity in all flight conditions.
These advantages also help streamline technical operations and maintenance, allowing for a faster fleet-wide rollout.
United currently has Starlink installed on over half of its regional fleet, with plans to equip all mainline and regional aircraft with the system over time. Starlink will eventually be available on more than 16 different aircraft types, from smaller regional jets to long-haul widebody planes. The first regional Starlink-equipped customer flight took off in May 2025, marking the beginning of United’s transformation of the inflight internet experience. The upcoming October 15th launch represents the first mainline aircraft integration, with the Boeing 737-800 serving as the debut model.
Grant Milstead, United’s Vice President of Digital Technology, said:
Customers are loving the Starlink experience onboard our regional aircraft, and our first Starlink-equipped mainline aircraft will bring a superior inflight experience to even more people. We’re working to install Starlink and offer game-changing inflight entertainment experiences like streaming services, shopping, gaming and more.”
Anthony’s Take: I am excited for Starlink to be live. United’s Wi-Fi has improved, but it is still pretty hit or miss on many flights. This will change the experience completely.
(Image Credits: United Airlines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
