Business Insider·4 min read·medium

Elon Musk's Starlink is dominating in-flight WiFi. Here's which airlines have it — and how to check if your plane does.

Elon Musk's Starlink is dominating in-flight WiFi. Here's which airlines have it — and how to check if your plane does.
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Elon Musk's Starlink is rapidly expanding its presence in the aviation industry, with over 40 airlines now signed on to provide high-speed, satellite-based in-flight WiFi. The service is currently available on more than 1,400 commercial aircraft, offering a competitive alternative to traditional geostationary satellite providers.

Elon Musk's Starlink WiFi is gaining popularity among airlines. Thomas Barwick/Getty Images Over 40 global airlines have announced deals for Elon Musk's Starlink WiFi. The ultra-high-speed WiFi is free on airlines that offer it, but some require a loyalty account. Starlink is already available on some airlines — here's how to find out if your plane has it. From United Airlines and Emirates to British Airways and Air New Zealand, Elon Musk 's Starlink is gaining popularity across global airlines. In its 2025 Progress Report , Starlink said more than 1,400 commercial planes worldwide have been equipped with the ultra-high-speed internet. Over 40 commercial carriers have announced deals. All airlines that offer Starlink do so free of charge, although some require passengers to sign up for their loyalty programs. Business Insider previously tested Starlink on Qatar Airways ' first flight with Starlink in October 2024. The connection speed peaked at 215 megabits per second, more than enough for a lag-free video call, and faster than many cable-based internet services. Starlink operates thanks to a constellation of nearly 11,000 satellites, enabling internet connectivity in remote locations, including over oceans. The satellites are in low-earth orbit , which means faster internet speeds, but they can also disrupt astronomy. Starlink has competition: Carriers like JetBlue Airways and Delta Air Lines have signed up for Amazon Leo , which works similarly and has launched about 400 satellites. Viasat has been a common pick for airlines for over a decade, relying on fewer high-capacity satellites in geostationary orbit about 22,000 miles above Earth, which have higher latency than Starlink. There are ways to find out whether your next flight is equipped with Starlink. For most airlines, passengers are notified during the booking process, in pre-flight communications, or via the app. Although not associated with Musk or the carriers, there are free online tools, such as Starlink Flights, that can be helpful. For example, Starlink Flights tracks which aircraft tail numbers are equipped with Starlink by using airline announcements, public records, flight-tracking data, and passenger reports. Travelers can use aviation tracking tools like FlightRadar24 to find their flight's tail number and cross-check it. Still, aircraft swaps and data inaccuracies mean these tools should be treated as helpful guides rather than guarantees. Here are all the airlines that have publicly announced plans to launch Starlink. Aer Lingus An Aer Lingus Airbus A330. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/Getty The Irish flag carrier is part of International Airlines Group, which announced its Starlink deal in early November. Aer Lingus began flying planes with Starlink in March 2026, with plans to equip its long-haul fleet first before expanding across its network. Air Baltic An Air Baltic Airbus A220. Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images Latvia's airBaltic flies around Europe and the Middle East only using Airbus A220 jets. It was the first European airline to adopt Starlink in early 2025. Air Busan An Air Busan Airbus A321. Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Air Busan is a budget carrier and a subsidiary of Asiana Airlines, which is merging with Korean Air. Korean Air announced in December that it's adding Starlink. While the legacy carrier has clearer plans for its wide-body jets, Korean said Air Busan will review which planes to prioritize. "Rollout schedules will vary by carrier, with the earliest service introduction expected as early as the third quarter of 2026," it added. Air Dolomiti An Air Dolomiti Embraer 190. Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Air Dolomiti is a regional airline that only operates Embraer jets and focuses on connecting Italian destinations with other cities around Europe. It's a subsidiary of Lufthansa, which announced its deal with Starlink in January. Introduction is set to begin in the second half of 2026, with all Lufthansa Group planes equipped with Starlink by 2029. The company said access would be free for all status customers and Travel ID users. Air France An Air France Boeing 777. AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images The French flag carrier announced its Starlink deal in September 2024, available to Flying Blue loyalty members. Installation began across its fleet in 2025 and is expected to be complete by the end of 2026. About 60% of its planes are Starlink-equipped. Air New Zealand An Air New Zealand flight arrives at Sydney Airport in Sydney, Australia. Bai Xuefei/Xinhua via Getty Images Air New Zealand first said it was working with Starlink in 2023. It then rolled it out on two domestic aircraft in June 2025, saying that it was "currently in the test phase." Air Seoul An Air Seoul Airbus A321. Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Air Seoul is a budget carrier and another subsidiary of Korean Air. Like with Air Busan, it is not yet clear which jets will get Starlink. Alaska Airlines An Alaska Airlines Embraer E175. Kevin Carter/Getty Images After merging with Hawaiian Airlines — the first major carrier to offer Starlink — Alaska Airlines announced its deal in August 2025. It has completed the rollout on its regional aircraft and started equipping its Boeing 737 mainline jets. Its widebody Boeing 787s are also set to get Starlink. American Airlines The airline didn't detail any plans for its Boeing planes. Daniel SLIM / AFP via Getty Images American Airlines announced in May 2026 that it will install Starlink on more than 500 narrowbody planes starting in early 2027. Asiana Airlines Asiana Airlines is merging with Korean Air. AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images Asiana Airlines is merging with Korean Air, but has not begun the Starlink installation. "Following the integration with Asiana Airlines, the airline plans to complete fleetwide installation by the end of 2027," Korean said in its Starlink announcement. It also said it will prioritize installation on its Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 jets. Austrian Airlines An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320neo. Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images Austria's flag carrier is a subsidiary of Lufthansa, which announced its deal with Starlink in January. Austrian said its entire A320 family and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner would get Starlink, but did not yet disclose a timeline. British Airways A British Airways Boeing 787. Kevin Carter/Getty Images The UK flag carrier is also part of IAG. British Airways has Starlink on select aircraft as of July 2026 and is gradually adding it to more jets. Brussels Airlines A Brussels Airlines Airbus A320. Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images Belgium's national airline is another subsidiary of Lufthansa, which announced its deal with Starlink in January. Brussels Airlines' entire fleet will get the new WiFi, starting with A320s, followed by the long-haul fleet. Cebu Pacific Cebu Pacific is part of Indigo Partners. LIPAD The Filipino carrier Cebu is rolling out Starlink starting in 2027. Cebu is part of the private equity firm Indigo Partners, which announced a deal to equip Starlink on 1,000 aircraft across five airlines: Cebu Pacific, Frontier Airlines, Mexico's Volaris, Hungary's Wizz Air, and South America's JetSMART. Copa Airlines Copa Airlines is the flag carrier of Panama. Kevin Carter/Getty Images Panama's Copa Airlines launched Starlink in July 2026 and plans to equip its entire fleet by 2027. Discover Airlines Discover is a German leisure carrier under the Lufthansa Group. Florian Wiegand/picture alliance via Getty Images Discover's Starlink rollout is part of the broader deal under the Lufthansa Group agreement. Edelweiss Air An Edelweiss Air plane in Zurich. : Gunter Fischer/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Edelweiss Air is a sister company of Swiss International Air Lines. Both are subsidiaries of Lufthansa . Like with other Lufthansa-owned airlines, Starlink will be free for all status customers and Travel ID users. Emirates An Emirates Airbus A380. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images Dubai's airline rolled out its first Starlink plane, an Airbus A380, in April 2026 and plans to add it to all 232 in-service aircraft by mid-2027. Eurowings A Eurowings plane taking off. Jaime REINA / AFP via Getty Images Eurowings, a German budget airline and another subsidiary of Lufthansa, will get Starlink as part of the Lufthansa Group's deal. FlyDubai A FlyDubai Boeing 737. Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images The Emirati budget airline also announced its Starlink deal during the 2025 Dubai Airshow. It operates only Boeing 737s and plans to install Starlink on 100 of them. Frontier Airlines Frontier is an ultra-low-cost carrier. Kevin Carter/Getty Images Frontier, part of Indigo Partners, announced in July that its first flight with Starlink will take off in early 2027. Gulf Air Gulf Air is based in Bahrain. Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images The Middle Eastern carrier announced in January that it would add Starlink across its entire fleet. The first flight took off in May 2026. Iberia Mitsubishi CRJ-200ER for Iberia Air Nostrum. adolf martinez soler/Shutterstock The Spanish flag carrier is also part of IAG. The conglomerate said it would roll out Starlink across its fleets. The first flight was in June 2026. ITA Airways Pope Leo XIV boarding an ITA Airways plane. Maria Grazia Picciarella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Italy's flag carrier is part-owned by the country's government and the Lufthansa Group. The Pope typically flies abroad on a chartered ITA Airways plane, with the airline dressing the seats in Vatican colors. Jazz Aviation Jazz Aviation turboprop. Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images The Canadian airline operates regional flights on behalf of Air Canada and has equipped select Dash 8 turboprop planes with Starlink. JetSMART JetSMART is a South American low cost airline. JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images The airline is equipping Starlink as part of the Indigo Partners collective deal for over 1,000 aircraft across its five airlines. Jin Air A Jin Air Boeing 737. Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Budget airline Jin Air, another subsidiary of Korean Air, will also get Starlink on its planes. It will first install the high-speed WiFi on its Boeing 737 Max 8 jets. JSX A JSX plane. AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images JSX is a charter air carrier and was the first carrier to equip Starlink back in 2023. Its fleet is mostly made up of regional Embraer jets, all of which are equipped. Korean Air A Korean Air Boeing 777. Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images Korean Air announced in December that it's adding Starlink, with service starting as early as the third quarter of 2026. It said it will prioritize installation on its Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 jets, aiming for Starlink to be across the fleet by the end of 2027. Level A Level Airlines plane at Barcelona Airport. Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images Level is a budget airline based in Barcelona and is part of IAG. The airline's parent company said it would roll out Starlink from late 2026. Lufthansa Come 2025, Lufthansa will operate the world's longest 747 flight by distance. Arne Dedert/picture alliance via Getty Images Lufthansa, Germany's flag carrier , announced in January that it would install Starlink across its fleet and that of its subsidiaries. Introduction is set to begin in the second half of 2026, with all planes equipped with Starlink by 2029. It said access would be free for all status customers and Travel ID users. The Lufthansa Group added that further details will be announced throughout the year. Qatar Airways A Qatar Airways Boeing 777 at Athens International Airport. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images Qatar Airways outpaced its regional rival, Emirates, by announcing Starlink back in May 2024. Starlink is installed on all Qatar's Boeing 777s and is being rolled out to its Airbus A350s. SAS Mark Harkin/Flickr Scandinavian Airlines, or SAS, is the flag carrier for Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Its first Starlink flight was in March 2026 on an A320. Passengers need to sign up for the EuroBonus loyalty program to access it for free. Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines plans to roll out Starlink on its planes by the end of 2029. Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images Singapore is adding Starlink to its Airbus A350 and Airbus A380 planes from early 2027. Swiss International Air Lines A Swiss International Air Lines plane at San Francisco International Airport. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images Swiss International Air Lines is one of the many Lufthansa subsidiaries getting Starlink internet. It will be part of the rollout that starts in the second half of 2026. Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines has Starlink. Kevin Carter/Getty Images Southwest's first Starlink flight was in June 2026, and it plans to install the WiFi on more than 300 jets this year. United Airlines United Airlines planes at Newark on Saturday. Gary Hershorn/Getty Images United Airlines was the second US airline to announce a Starlink deal, but the first of the Big Three. It has installed the service on over 400 planes, including regional, narrowbody, and widebody planes. The airline says customers will receive a notification before their flight if their plane is equipped with Starlink. Passengers need to sign up for United's MileagePlus loyalty program for free access. Virgin Atlantic A Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350. NurPhoto/NurPhoto/Getty Images Virgin Atlantic was the first UK airline to announce its deal with Starlink. The first Starlink plane took off in May 2026. Passengers will need to sign up for the airline's Flying Club loyalty program to use the WiFi. Volaris Volaris is also planning for Starlink. Kevin Carter/Getty Images The Mexican carrier, part of Indigo Partners, announced Starlink in July and plans to equip its entire fleet by 2027. Vueling Flickr/Eric Salard Another IAG subsidiary, Vueling is a Spanish budget airline. Its parent company said it would roll out Starlink from 2026. WestJet Flickr/Lord of the Wings Canada's WestJet started installing Starlink in February, and it's now equipped on over 100 of its Boeing 737 jets. Nearly all of its 737-800 and 737 Max 8s have Starlink. Free access requires signing up for its loyalty program. Wizz Air Wizz Air is a low-cost airline with historically no-frills planes. Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images The Hungarian low-cost airline, part of Indigo Partners, said in June that it will install Starlink from 2027. Zipair ZipAir Boeing 787-8 takes off from Tokyo Narita International Airport. Kittikun Yoksap/Shutterstock Zipair is a Japanese budget airline and a subsidiary of Japan Airlines. It was an early adopter of Starlink, announcing its deal in early 2023, and has rolled out the service on all of its 787s. Editor's Note: This story was originally published in November 2025. It was updated in January 2026 and again in August 2026. Read the original article on Business Insider

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