Qatar Airways operated the world’s first Starlink-equipped Boeing 777 aircraft on October 22, on a flight from Doha to London.

The airline is the first carrier in the Middle East and North Africa region to offer passengers Starlink ultra-high-speed, low-latency internet. Starlink is free to all passengers and operates from gate to gate.

The carrier will exceed its initial target of three Starlink-equipped aircraft by the end of 2024, by introducing 12 Boeing 777-300s upgraded with this service by the end of the year.

The carrier says it will roll out the technology on its entire Boeing 777 fleet in 2025 – one year ahead of schedule – with the Airbus A350 fleet following in the summer of 2025.

The Starlink-equipped aircraft will operate on select routes as the airline pushes forward with its roll-out plans. A QR spokesperson told Travel News that no specific timeframe has been given for the rollout of Starlink on its South African flights but confirmed that Starlink will be in operation on all the airline’s flights by the middle of next year.

Starlink is the world’s first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit that will provide passengers reliable, high-speed internet so they can stay connected with friends and family, stream their favourite entertainment, watch live sports, play online games, or work efficiently at 35 000 feet – all of this will be free of charge on QR flights, with ‘one-click’ access.

Qatar Airways’ Group CEO, Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “This milestone, paired with our commitment to rapidly roll-out Starlink across our entire modern fleet, demonstrates our relentless pursuit of offering passengers an in-flight experience that transcends the constraints of traditional air travel.”

Qatar Airways joins other airlines such as United and Air France, which have also announced partnerships with Starlink to roll-out WiFi services onboard.