United Airlines accelerates its plan to connect its fleet with Musk’s Starlink

United Airlines is accelerating the timeline for connecting its fleet to Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite network that provides high-speed Internet access around the world.

The airline plans to begin testing Starlink in February with the first commercial flight planned for the spring on a United Embraer E-175 aircraft, used for regional flights. United plans to equip its entire regional two-cabin fleet, approximately 200 aircraft, with this service by the end of 2025.

And United expects to see its first Starlink-connected primary plane take off before the end of the year.

When United Airlines announced the Starlink deal in September, the company said it would begin testing the system this year. The airline is accelerating its plan to install Starlink on its planes by aircraft type.

United plans to connect all of its roughly 1,000 planes to the service, which the company said would make the deal the largest Starlink has made with a commercial airline. United did not disclose financial terms of the deal.

“This will not only revolutionize the experience of traveling with United, but it will also unlock tons of new partnerships and benefits for our members that would not otherwise be possible,” said Richard Nunn, CEO of MileagePlus, in a press release.

Access will be free for customers enrolled in MileagePlus, United’s loyalty program. The program is free.

Once United’s planes are connected to Starlink, passengers will be able to stream live TV shows and movies without buffering delays, according to the airline. Passengers will be able to shop online, play games, upload and download documents and edit files in real time.

United is the dominant carrier at Denver International Airport. The airline reported 3.43 million passengers through October 2024.