HAWTHORNE, Calif. — SpaceX Starlink just went transoceanic in commercial aviation. On June 22, United Airlines operated its first Starlink-equipped widebody flight, sending a Boeing 777 from Newark to London Heathrow with passengers connected to SpaceX low-Earth-orbit satellite network for the entire transatlantic crossing. The same day, Southwest Airlines flew its first Starlink-equipped aircraft, underscoring how quickly the technology is spreading across the industry.
Free, fast Wi-Fi over the ocean
The milestone matters because mid-ocean connectivity has long been a weak spot for traditional in-flight internet, which relies on sparse geostationary satellites. Starlink thousands of low-orbit satellites deliver low-latency, high-speed service that holds up far from land, letting flyers stream, game, and work over open water. United makes the service free for its MileagePlus members, removing the paywall that has frustrated passengers for years. The carrier rapid embrace builds on a wave of airline deals we have tracked, including El Al and Wizz Air joining the Starlink lineup.
A rollout moving at full throttle
United plans to equip up to 60 widebody aircraft with Starlink by the end of 2026 and expects its entire widebody fleet outfitted by next summer. More than 400 United planes already carry the system, and the airline aims to reach close to 1,000 aircraft before year-end. Starlink-equipped 777s will increasingly appear on routes linking United hubs in Newark, Washington, Houston, and San Francisco with destinations such as London, Frankfurt, Zurich, Paris, Amsterdam, Tokyo, and Buenos Aires.
For SpaceX, aviation is becoming a meaningful and visible growth channel for Starlink, complementing its core consumer and enterprise broadband business and its expansion into new markets, a push detailed in our coverage of Starlink fight for spectrum and growth in Europe. Every equipped aircraft becomes a flying advertisement for the service, exposing millions of travelers to Starlink performance firsthand.
