American Airlines to Put Starlink Wi-Fi on Entire Mainline Fleet in 2027

The airline announced that all of its narrowbody and widebody mainline jets, a fleet totaling more than 1,030 aircraft, will carry the satellite service, according to a report by Engadget. When the contract was first agreed in May, the figure stood at 500 aircraft. American expects speeds of up to 1 Gbps through Starlink's Performance Aero Terminal.

American carries more than 165 million customers a year, and the airline is telling them to expect fast and reliable satellite Wi-Fi in flight, a level of connectivity that earlier systems did not provide.

The commitment marks a change in the carrier's Wi-Fi strategy. Last year American agreed a deal with AT&T to bring high-speed Wi-Fi to members of its AAdvantage loyalty program.

SpaceX and Starlink have continued to win airline contracts even after losing out to Amazon Leo in the competition for Delta Air Lines earlier this year. Amazon's rollout is not scheduled to begin until 2028. Starlink already serves 724 United Airlines aircraft, about 41 percent of that carrier's fleet, and the company says it has now partnered with 48 airlines worldwide.

Editor's Summary American Airlines will install Starlink Wi-Fi across its full mainline fleet of more than 1,030 narrowbody and widebody jets from 2027, up from the 500 aircraft covered by its May agreement with SpaceX. The airline says the Performance Aero Terminal will deliver speeds of up to 1 Gbps to its more than 165 million annual customers, replacing an earlier AT&T-backed Wi-Fi plan for AAdvantage members. The deal strengthens Starlink's position in in-flight connectivity, where it already serves 724 United aircraft, although Amazon Leo won Delta's business.