Starlink, the “Internet from space” company has inked a deal with Hawaiian Airlines to offer wireless internet on the latter's fleet of Airbus A330 and A321neo aircraft, as well as the upcoming Boeing 787-9s. The service will be free for the passengers.
Starlink internet service will be available to passengers onboard Hawaiian Airlines' long-haul flights. Hawaiian Airlines is the first commercial passenger airline service to tie up with Starlink. Elon Musk’s company will be the airline’s Internet Service Provider (ISP) and will be responsible for providing high-speed wireless internet service on board the airplanes that fly between continents.
Tesla's first live service client will be offering the Starlink internet perks for free, confirmed Hawaiian Airlines chief Peter Ingram.
Our guests can look forward to fast, seamless and free Wi-Fi to complement our award-winning onboard Hawaiian hospitality.
Neither of the companies has revealed any specifics about the offering. Details such as the maximum speeds that flyers can expect, or any cap on data consumption, are still missing. Starlink's low-latency broadband internet will be available on Hawaiian Airlines' fleet of Airbus A330 and A321neo aircraft, as well as the upcoming Boeing 787-9s.
Specifically speaking, Starlink hardware will be installed on flights operating across the continental U.S., Asia, and Oceania. Hawaiian Airlines offers short-duration flights also. But Starlink’s service isn’t being offered on these flights, which are catered by Boeing 717 planes.
Perhaps the biggest appeal of Starlink internet onboard flights is the ease of getting online and staying connected. Passengers won't have to go through payment portals or registration pages for linking their devices with the in-flight Starlink Wi-Fi network. Moreover, Starlink satellites are positioned in lower orbits and offer a denser network. This means internet speeds should be higher with fewer disruptions or disconnections when flying across continents.
Incidentally, Hawaiian Airlines and Starlink have only inked the deal. All the eligible airplanes will still need to get Starlink hardware. Starlink's satellite receivers should start appearing on select Hawaiian Airlines vehicles starting next year.
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