Skift Take

Qatar Airways is the latest carrier to switch its in-flight Wi-Fi to Starlink — and celebrated the milestone with a call with Elon Musk 35,000 feet in the air.

Meghna Maharishi

Qatar Airways operated its first flight equipped with Elon Musk’s Starlink from Doha to London on Tuesday. 

The carrier said it plans to introduce 12 more Boeing 777s equipped with Starlink by the end of the year. It also aims to have Starlink on its entire 777 fleet by 2025 and will start installing the satellite-based service on its Airbus A350s by the summer of 2025. 

Qatar Airways CEO Badr Al Meer celebrated the milestone with a video call with Musk while 35,000 feet in the air. 

“We’re literally just talking over Starlink right now, that’s super cool,” Musk said on the call. 

With Starlink, Qatar Airways said passengers will be able to stream, watch live sports, play online games or work while on board. The flag carrier first signed a partnership with Starlink in 2023. 

“Over time, I think you’ll find it just gets better and better,” Musk said on the call. 

Airlines Jump to Starlink

Qatar Airways is the biggest carrier to implement Starlink so far as the industry looks to provide faster — and free — in-flight Wi-Fi to attract more business and premium travelers. 

Starlink has become an increasingly popular option for airlines because of its promise to provide more consistent service through satellite-based technologies. 

Lately, Starlink has inked high-profile partnerships with United Airlines and Air France. Hawaiian Airlines, Air New Zealand, JSX, Tokyo-based Zipair and Latvia’s airBaltic also have deals with Starlink.  

The move to Starlink comes as carriers have slowly started making their in-flight Wi-Fi free. United said its Starlink Wi-Fi would be free to all passengers. Currently, the airline charges $8 for Wi-Fi to MileagePlus members and $10 to non-members. 

Delta Air Lines also made headlines when it announced that it would make Wi-Fi on all flights across its international network free.