Summary
- Qatar Airways has partnered with Starlink to supply free, high-speed WiFi on select aircraft, making it the biggest airline to hitch Starlink’s connectivity solution.
- Passengers on Qatar Airways could have access to WiFi speeds of as much as 350Mbps, able to handling heavy-duty downloading like video streaming or gaming.
- While no specific dates or routes have been announced, there’s a possibility that Starlink could eventually support your entire Qatar Airways fleet.
Qatar Airways has teamed up with SpaceX’s Starlink to supply complimentary high-speed inflight WiFi to passengers on select aircraft. The Qatari flag carrier is the biggest airline to hitch Starlink’s connectivity solution.
Qatar Airways rolls out Starlink web
The airline will implement Starlink’s inflight connectivity service onboard “specific aircraft and routes,” giving passengers in all cabin classes access to free, high-speed WiFi of as much as 350Mbps. These speeds are greater than able to handling heavy-duty downloading, equivalent to video streaming or gaming, to maintain passengers connected within the skies.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, commented,
Photo: SpaceX
Qatar said that connecting to the onboard WiFi will probably be via “easy one-click access,” which hopefully means no lengthy sign-up forms to get online. Starlink’s impressive speeds of as much as 350Mbps are far higher than the present tech on Qatar’s widebody fleet – a few of its planes offer Inmarsat’s GX satellite web (as much as 50Mbps), while others are fitted with SITA’s OnAir solution.
When will it launch?
At this stage, Qatar Airways hasn’t given any dates on Starlink’s rollout or what routes/aircraft it would be available on. Hawaiian Airlines, which became the primary major airline to join Starlink back in April 2022, recently delayed its own rollout until early 2024, so it might be some time before we see it on Qatar’s jets.
Photo: GagliardiPhotography | Shutterstock
Perhaps more noteworthy is SpaceX Vice President of Starlink Business Sales Jonathan Hofeller’s comment that Starlink will eventually “support your entire Qatar Airways fleet,” suggesting the airline could make SpaceX its sole connectivity partner, or offer WiFi across its narrowbody fleet.
Which airlines offer Starlink?
Qatar Airways joins a growing list of Starlink partners – nonetheless, no major carriers have Starlink up and running yet, with Hawaiian Airlines seeking to take that honor in early 2024. In March, Charter carrier JSX became the primary airline to suit its entire energetic fleet of 40 Embraer ERJs with Starlink, with earlier tests demonstrating speeds of as much as 100Mbps inflight.
Other airlines within the means of implementing Starlink include airBaltic and ZIPAIR, while Delta Air Lines has previously conducted its own tests of the tech. In response to SpaceX’s Hofeller, Starlink will begin working as soon as passengers step foot on the aircraft, continuing seamlessly until the flight arrives.
Have you ever ever used Starlink onboard a flight before? How did it compare to other inflight satellite WiFi services? Be at liberty to share your thoughts within the comments.