United Airlines has announced accelerated plans to roll out Elon Musk's Starlink satellite WiFi service on its flights, with initial testing set to begin in February.
In a move to enhance in-flight connectivity, the airline aims to equip its entire fleet with Starlink by the end of 2025, allowing travelers to enjoy the same high-speed, low-latency internet service in the air that they do on the ground.
Richard Nunn, CEO of United MileagePlus, said the plan is to add Starlink to as many planes as possible, as quickly as possible, in a partnership with SpaceX.
"It's not only going to revolutionize the experience of flying United, but it's also going to unlock tons of new partnerships and benefits for our members that otherwise wouldn't be possible," Nunn said in a statement.
Testing of Starlink is set to begin next month, with the first commercial flight planned for this spring on a United Embraer E-175 aircraft.
By the end of 2025, the entire two-cabin regional fleet is expected to be equipped with Starlink. The airline also anticipates having its first mainline Starlink-enabled plane in the air before the end of this year.
United said this gate-to-gate connectivity "will enable experiences in the sky at scale that no other major U.S. airline provides, on seatback screens and personal devices simultaneously."
Access to Starlink will be available for free to all members of United's MileagePlus program, and includes inflight entertainment experiences such as streaming services, shopping and gaming. Membership to MileagePlus is also free.
Starlink is a satellite internet network that orbits the Earth at a low altitude, enabling high-speed, low-latency broadband internet in remote and rural locations across the globe.