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Starlink adoption is rapidly occurring at airlines around the world. United Airlines will be its largest airline partner, but others like airBaltic, Air France, Air New Zealand, Hawaiian Airlines, Qatar Airways, SAS, and WestJet have plans to install it as well. Today, Virgin Atlantic announced that it will add this free high-speed Wi-Fi across its entire fleet. Beginning in Q3 2026, the airline will roll out streaming-quality, high-speed Wi-Fi powered by SpaceX’ Starlink satellite network on its fleet of Boeing 787s, Airbus A350s, and A330neos, with full installation expected by the end of 2027.
The service will be free of charge for Flying Club members, making Virgin Atlantic the first British carrier to offer complimentary high-speed internet across its entire fleet. Utilizing Starlink’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, the service will deliver high-speed, low-latency internet access to even the most remote air routes. This provides a fast and secure digital experience from takeoff to landing. Starlink connectivity offers a range of online activities and transforms the in-flight experience into a “home away from home.” Passengers will be able to stream movies, TV shows, and live sports, game with friends on the ground in real time, online shop, work remotely with access to cloud storage, and even make video calls (Virgin is touting this, but I hope it never comes to be as many passengers will be obnoxious on FaceTime or Zoom).
The introduction of Starlink is part of Virgin Atlantic’s plan to redefine premium air travel. With connectivity playing an increasingly vital role in how people travel, the airline aims to mirror ground-level internet quality at 30,000 feet. In July 2024, Virgin Atlantic ordered seven A330-900neos to complete its $17 billion fleet transformation. By 2028, the airline will operate a mixed fleet of 45 next-generation aircraft comprising 19 Airbus A330-900s, 12 A350-1000s, and 14 Boeing 787-9s (these will all have Starlink connectivity).
Siobhan Fitzpatrick, Chief Experience Officer at Virgin Atlantic, said:
We never stop innovating for our guests and today, in a first for any UK airline, we’ll soon have free, streaming quality, unlimited, fleet-wide Wi-Fi. Together with Starlink, we are delighted to provide our guests with the best connectivity in the skies, further elevating our onboard experience.
The new service allows our guests to create a home away from home experience, allowing customers to connect seamlessly, from the moment they board the aircraft, enjoying the same quality in the air as they do on the ground.”
Anthony’s Take: I can’t wait until true high-speed internet is available on every plane and every airline. It’s exciting to see this rollout along with those of all of the other carriers adopting Starlink.
(Image Credits: Virgin Atlantic and 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.
