Summary:
- Virgin Atlantic showcased its new Starlink WiFi capability with a live inflight performance by Sugababes streamed globally from 35,000ft.
- The event demonstrated the potential of high-speed onboard connectivity, enabling real-time livestreaming, audience interaction and seamless digital experiences inflight.
- Virgin Atlantic is rolling out Starlink across its fleet, with full connectivity planned by 2027 to support streaming, gaming, messaging, shopping and productivity onboard.
Virgin Atlantic has taken connectivity to new heights with a special live performance from iconic girl group Sugababes. Live from 35,000ft, the moment was streamed in real time via Virgin Atlantic’s Instagram to audiences around the world using Starlink WiFi.
Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy took to the skies performing a selection of their iconic, fan-favourite tracks alongside an exclusive onboard Q&A, with fans able to submit requests in real-time via the livestream. The gig took place in the Upper Class social space, The Loft, on Virgin Atlantic’s A350 aircraft and streamed globally via Starlink – the world’s most advanced satellite constellation using a low-Earth orbit to deliver inflight WiFi. For one night only, the cabin was transformed into a stage above the clouds, connecting music, technology and audiences worldwide in a unique inflight performance.
With thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit, Starlink can deliver multi-gigabit connectivity to aircraft using its Aero Terminal, which can support up to 1 Gbps per antenna. Beyond this moment, the new WiFi will transform the experience for customers enabling them to stream, browse, shop, game, work, take brief audio calls and message seamlessly across multiple devices, whether travelling in Virgin Atlantic’s Economy, Premium or Upper Class cabin.
Virgin Atlantic is now rolling out Starlink WiFi across its fleet, beginning with the Airbus A350s, with the programme extending across the Boeing 787 and Airbus A330neo aircraft, as installation progresses. The airline plans to deliver full fleet connectivity in 2027.
“This isn’t just about introducing WiFi, it’s about showing what it can do,” said Juha Jaervinen, Chief Customer Officer, Virgin Atlantic. “By livestreaming a performance from 35,000ft, we’re demonstrating the power of Starlink to deliver a seamless, high-quality connection in the air, just as our customers expect on the ground. Sugababes are an iconic part of British culture, bringing generations together through their music, so they’re the perfect partners for a moment like this, connecting people in the air and on the ground in real time. As we roll out Starlink WiFi across our fleet, this is just the beginning of a more connected, more flexible onboard experience.”
The Sugababes said: “We always said the sky was the limit – turns out, it’s just the beginning! Taking live music to the skies and turning an airplane into a global stage is unlike anything we’ve ever done. The idea that fans around the world can experience it with us in real time makes it even more surreal.”
Hear more from Virgin Atlantic at the co-located APEX FTE EMEA and APEX FTE Ancillary & Retailing events, taking place in Dublin on 9-11 June 2026. Juha Jaervinen, Chief Customer Officer (CMXO) & Executive Vice President, Virgin Atlantic, will deliver the ‘Opening Keynote: The Future of the Most Loved Customer Experience’.
Register for the co-located APEX FTE EMEA and APEX FTE Ancillary & Retailing events – free for airlines, low-cost for airports >>You may also be interested in
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