Virgin Atlantic has unveiled plans to install Starlink Wi-Fi by SpaceX onto it’s aircraft, and it’s coming sooner than you think.
The airline will be the first in the UK to install this type of Wi-Fi onto their long-haul aircraft.
Timelines have been unveiled, with SpaceX thriving in the aviation industry as a result of this.
The Starlink Plan for Virgin Atlantic: Enhanced Wi-Fi Onboard…
Virgin Atlantic will unveil super-fast Wi-Fi connectivity through SpaceX Starlink as early as the third quarter of this year.
Furthermore, all aircraft in their fleet will be completely retrofitted with this technology by the end of 2027.
The carrier has said that this will be free of charge for Flying Club members.
Also, this marks a complement to the overall investment that it has made in the last few years.
For example, back in July 2024, the carrier unveiled an order for seven more Airbus A330neos.
This completes the $17bn fleet transformation program, with the airline expected to have 19 A330neos, 12 A350-1000s and 14 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners by 2028.
Commenting on this milestone was Siobhan Fitzpatrick, the Chief Experience Officer of Virgin Atlantic:
“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.”
SpaceX Making Waves in the Aviation Industry With This Technology…
SpaceX continues to make waves in the Wi-Fi connectivity game with Starlink. Even more so now that Virgin Atlantic has been added as a customer.
This year has seen the likes of airBaltic becoming the first customer in Europe, which will be installed on their Airbus A220 aircraft.
Qatar Airways is another major customer, who over the course of this year, have been installing Starlink across their Airbus A350 and Boeing 777 aircraft as well.
For instance, on their 777s, they have already completed 6,000+ flights with the system onboard.
United Airlines also began the installation of the system onto their regional aircraft.
However, this has since been suspended due to suspected interference.
Other than the odd teething problem, SpaceX has been making waves within the commercial aviation industry with Starlink, and having Virgin Atlantic as another major customer is a step in the right direction.
Looking Ahead…
Overall, installing SpaceX Starlink Wi-Fi on Virgin Atlantic aircraft will be a gamechanger.
It is clear that a trend is emerging here within the sector.
The system is clearly attractive, and with that in mind, provides solid competition.
Other Wi-Fi providers for aircraft will have a hard job in competing, especially on speeds too.
The possibilities are endless for SpaceX at this stage.
As more interest continues, so does demand for the services.
Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see how many more airlines sign up for the product.
At the moment, it is clear that this will be a lucrative market for the company.
Stay tuned for further updates on the AviationSource website.
