- United Airlines has installed Starlink on its first regional aircraft
- The installation time is only four days per day. FLY AGAINST 10+ DAYS FOR OTHER WI-FI SYSTEMS
- Airline expects to install Starlink on over 40 aircraft a month starting in May
Back in January, just in front of the 2025 consumer electronics show, United Airlines announced that it accelerated its roll -out and installation of Starlink across its fleet. That was good news when Grant Milstead, VP for digital technology to the airline, told us it was “kind of to activate the living room in the sky experience.”
How? Once Starlink is installed on United Airline’s Aircraft, the result is free, fast Wi-Fi while on the ground and in the air as long as you are a member of MileagePlus, which is free to participate. United Airlines provided its planned roll -out by confirming that the first commercial flight was expected on an Embraer E175 in the spring and that its entire regional fleet would be covered by the end of the year. Its first main line aircraft would also have Starlink installed by the end of the year.
Now United Airlines has successfully installed Starlink on its first regional aircraft, learned some new lessons and confirmed some theories about what this process would look like. And for anyone flying United Airlines, the good news is as you are one step closer to getting this stronger, more stable connection in the sky.
The most important learning is that the installation of the Starlink Antenna, the wires and the wireless access points inside the aircraft’s cabin is much less time-consuming than a typical antenna for traditional airline Wi-Fi. United say it takes about eight hours to install the Starlink equipment, which is approx. 10 times faster than the current Wi-Fi equipment during flight (though the eight-hour window does not include the DE-installation or test equipment).
And here’s the best part for me as someone who tends to fly United Airlines, and for anyone else who makes the can you expect Wi-Fi speeds up to 250 Mbps on these regional aircraft, which are 50 times faster than current internet speeds. This means that when you are connected, you do not have to worry about missing out on a text – even one with pictures – to be able to browse the internet, stream a show or be productive and do some work while sailing in the sky. First, I can’t wait to put it to the test.
In addition, the StarLink antenna and the corresponding equipment weigh 85 pounds and control electronically, which means no moving parts inside. It makes it easier to move and less likely to need maintenance. It is also much lighter (other antennas that weigh up to 300 pounds), and United Airlines says it “means that the aircraft requires less fuel to operate than with other Inflight providers.”
The faster installation process also means that the aircraft will be out of service for a shorter time. Currently, Non-StarLink is taking Wi-Fi installations to United over 10 days, which means the aircraft is not flying during that period. United Airlines expects the StarLink installation and test to take only four days, including removal of the old equipment. Remember, it is outside on the hull of the aircraft and inside panels where access points are located.
Here are the steps for the installation process, as it stands for United Airlines Regional Aircraft:
- Uninstall the existing Wi-Fi system.
- Install the StarLink system, which consists of the main antenna, an internal reinforcement structure, wireless access points for the cabin and a power supply.
- The installation team tests the entire system before and after closing the aircraft interior.
It is clear that United Airlines is still operating on this raised schedule and is eager to get Starlink-powered Internet for more passengers starting with regional aircraft. It’s also not a small set of flyers – while United Airlines The entire fleet is over 1,000 aircraft, the regional fleet is over 300 aircraft.
With one of the already finished aircraft, United Airlines expects to install Starlink on over 40 aircraft a month starting in May, before wrapping up by the end of 2025. The goal is to cover all regional aircraft and then at least one main line aircraft.
