Starlink signs first Wi-Fi deal with Hawaiian Airlines

With the latest agreement, Hawaiian Airlines has become the first major airline to close a deal with SpaceX’s Starlink communication network.

“When we launch with Starlink we will have the best connectivity experience available in the air. We waited until technology caught up with our high standards for guest experience, but it will be worth the wait,” stated Peter Ingram, the airline’s CEO.

The companies did not disclose any further details of the agreement. However, Jonathan Hofeller, SpaceX VP for Starlink commercial sales, mentioned that the deal makes “hassles like downloading movies before take-off a relic of the past.”

The service will be available starting 2023, on all Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330, A321neo and Boeing 787-9s aircraft. The free Starlink Wi-Fi access will be granted while onboard for passengers travelling on the Hawaiian Islands and the continental U.S., Asia and Oceania routes.

JSX, a private jet charter company headquartered in Dallas, has also signed a partnership with Starlink. As a result, all passengers travelling south-west of the United States will be offered free Starlink broadband.

And the SpaceX in-flight Wi-Fi service is expected to expand, as Delta Airlines is another airline that currently tests the Starlink network on its aircraft.

 

Source: spacenews.com