United Airlines will soon add free Wi-Fi to all of its aircraft after signing a deal for SpaceX's Starlink Wi-Fi service.
The airline expects to add the service to all of its over 1,000 planes over the next several years. Testing begins in early 2025 with the first passenger flights equipped with the service expected later that year.
"This connectivity opens the door for an even better inflight entertainment experience, in every seatback – more content, that's more personalised," said United CEO Scott Kirby. "United's culture of innovation is, once again, delivering big for our customers."
Starlink is engineered and operated by SpaceX. Its advanced satellites allow for internet access in locations previously unreachable by traditional cell or Wi-Fi signals.
SpaceX president and chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell commented: "With Starlink onboard your United flight, you'll have access to the world's most advanced high-speed internet from gate to gate, and all the miles in between."
United added that the service also benefit its staff that use mobile devices to help run operations, mitigating the impact of when working in a remote location or when traditional services are cut short by power outages or natural disasters.