Summary:
- United Airlines equips 300+ regional aircraft with Starlink: Over 25% of daily departures now feature high-speed, gate-to-gate WiFi.
- Passenger satisfaction doubles on Starlink-equipped aircraft: Reliable service, streaming, and seamless connectivity drive positive feedback.
- Future growth with Starlink: United plans to expand to 500+ mainline aircraft by 2026, bringing faster WiFi to even more travellers.
United Airlines has equipped most of its two-cabin regional fleet – more than 300 aircraft – with Starlink connectivity. Over the last 10 months, the airline has flown more than seven million passengers on Starlink-equipped aircraft across more than 129,000 flights, powering 3.7 million devices. United shares that WiFi customer satisfaction scores on those aircraft nearly doubled during that time.
Today, more than 25% of United’s daily departures – 1,200 flights – have Starlink WiFi. The airline expects to equip more than 500 mainline aircraft with Starlink connectivity by the end of 2026, bringing the total number of Starlink-equipped planes across its fleet to more than 800.
“United customers are loving the new WiFi experience onboard our Starlink-equipped aircraft,” said United’s VP of Digital Technology Grant Milstead. “We’re rolling out Starlink at an unprecedented speed and scale, and our milestone for our regional fleet is just the beginning – with more than 500 mainline aircraft expected to be equipped by the end of 2026. This is all part of our commitment to bring this innovative service to our entire fleet.”
United’s customer satisfaction scores for inflight WiFi have nearly doubled on aircraft equipped with Starlink, with travellers specifically calling out benefits like gate-to-gate connectivity, reliable service and onboard streaming.
This year, United plans to accelerate the Starlink roll out to its mainline fleet, adding seamless, gate-to-gate connectivity to hundreds more planes. In collaboration with Starlink, the airline will seek FAA approval for installation and safe, reliable operation of the new system on more than a dozen different aircraft models, including the Boeing 737-900ER, the Airbus 321 family, and Boeing 777s.
You may also be interested in
12 technology and CX trends that can enhance airline and airport operations in 2026
