Latvian national carrier airBaltic has conducted an initial ground test of SpaceX’s Starlink internet connectivity system aboard its A220-300 aircraft. The airline is working with SpaceX on achieving the required supplementary type certification (STC) approval and hopes to begin installing the product on its fleet by the end of 2024.
“This first test brings good insights and moves us closer to enhancing our service,” commented airBaltic president and CEO Martin Gauss, adding: “As we operate one of the most modern aircraft types on the market, it was the next logical step for airBaltic to introduce the cutting-edge Starlink inflight internet solution aboard this fleet”.
The Starlink connectivity system developed by SpaceX provides high-speed, low-latency broadband internet in over 90 countries. It began serving commercial aircraft last year, delivering up to 500Mbps to aircraft with latency as low as 20ms. This allows passengers to ‘engage in activities previously not functional in flight, including online gaming, virtual private networks, and other high data rate activities,’ adds airBaltic, which aims to ‘provide every passenger with seamless, high-speed internet access throughout their journey without hassles or login pages’.
airBaltic tests SpaceX’s Starlink internet connection
