United Airlines plans to offer free in-flight Wi-Fi to passengers from next year by signing up to Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink internet service.
Starlink is expected to deployed on more than 1,000 aircraft in the fleet “over the next several years”.
Testing starts in early 2025 with the first availability on passenger flights expected later that year.
United is the largest airline across both the Atlantic and Pacific and claims to be the first carrier in the world to commit to offering Starlink service at this scale.
Starlink claims its low Earth orbit satellites deliver reliable, high-speed, low-latency internet and boost reliability over oceans and other remote areas previously unreachable by traditional mobile or Wi-Fi signals.
The new service will also be used by United pilots, flight attendants, technicians and gate agents who use mobile devices to help run the operation and serve passengers.
“As United rolls out the Starlink more broadly, it will give those teams the same rich capabilities in the air, as they have on the ground including when working in remote location or when traditional services might be impacted like during power outages or natural disasters,” the airline said.
Chief executive Scott Kirby said: “Everything you can do on the ground, you’ll soon be able to do onboard a United plane at 35,000 feet, just about anywhere in the world.
“This connectivity opens the door for an even better in-flight entertainment experience, in every seat back – more content, that’s more personalised.”
SpaceX president and chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell added: “We’re excited to team up with United Airlines to transform the in-flight experience.
“With Starlink on board your United flight, you’ll have access to the world’s most advanced high-speed internet from gate to gate, and all the miles in between.”