United Installs Starlink on First Regional Aircraft
United Airlines has successfully installed Starlink on its first regional aircraft, marking a significant advancement in its fleet connectivity upgrade. The airline plans to outfit over 40 regional aircraft monthly through 2025, with installations taking approximately 8 hours - 10 times faster than non-Starlink equipment.
The Starlink system brings notable technical advantages: weighing only 85 pounds compared to competitors' 300 pounds, requiring just 4 days for complete installation versus 10+ days for other providers, and delivering Wi-Fi speeds up to 250 Mbps - 50 times faster than current speeds. The airline aims to equip its entire two-cabin regional fleet by year-end.
The service will be free for MileagePlus members, offering enhanced entertainment options including streaming services, shopping, and gaming. The system features weather-proofed inter-satellite laser link technology and utilizes the world's largest low-earth orbit satellite constellation for reliable connectivity.
United Airlines ha installato con successo Starlink sul suo primo aereo regionale, segnando un importante passo avanti nell'upgrade della connettività della sua flotta. La compagnia aerea prevede di equipaggiare oltre 40 aerei regionali al mese fino al 2025, con installazioni che richiedono circa 8 ore - 10 volte più veloci rispetto all'equipaggiamento non Starlink.
Il sistema Starlink offre notevoli vantaggi tecnici: pesa solo 85 libbre rispetto alle 300 libbre dei concorrenti, richiede solo 4 giorni per l'installazione completa rispetto ai 10+ giorni di altri fornitori, e fornisce velocità Wi-Fi fino a 250 Mbps - 50 volte più veloci rispetto alle velocità attuali. La compagnia aerea mira a equipaggiare l'intera flotta regionale a due cabine entro la fine dell'anno.
Il servizio sarà gratuito per i membri di MileagePlus, offrendo opzioni di intrattenimento migliorate tra cui servizi di streaming, shopping e giochi. Il sistema è dotato di tecnologia di collegamento laser inter-satellitare resistente alle intemperie e utilizza la più grande costellazione di satelliti in orbita bassa per una connettività affidabile.
United Airlines ha instalado con éxito Starlink en su primer avión regional, marcando un avance significativo en la actualización de conectividad de su flota. La aerolínea planea equipar más de 40 aviones regionales al mes hasta 2025, con instalaciones que toman aproximadamente 8 horas - 10 veces más rápido que el equipo que no es Starlink.
El sistema Starlink ofrece ventajas técnicas notables: pesa solo 85 libras en comparación con las 300 libras de los competidores, requiere solo 4 días para la instalación completa frente a más de 10 días de otros proveedores, y proporciona velocidades de Wi-Fi de hasta 250 Mbps - 50 veces más rápidas que las velocidades actuales. La aerolínea tiene como objetivo equipar toda su flota regional de dos cabinas para fin de año.
El servicio será gratuito para los miembros de MileagePlus, ofreciendo opciones de entretenimiento mejoradas que incluyen servicios de streaming, compras y juegos. El sistema cuenta con tecnología de enlace láser intersatélites a prueba de clima y utiliza la constelación de satélites en órbita baja más grande del mundo para una conectividad confiable.
유나이티드 항공이 첫 번째 지역 항공기에 스타링크를 성공적으로 설치하여 플릿 연결성 업그레이드의 중요한 진전을 이뤘습니다. 항공사는 2025년까지 매달 40대 이상의 지역 항공기를 장착할 계획이며, 설치에는 약 8시간이 소요됩니다 - 스타링크가 아닌 장비보다 10배 빠릅니다.
스타링크 시스템은 주목할 만한 기술적 이점을 제공합니다: 경쟁업체의 300파운드에 비해 단 85파운드의 무게를 가지며, 다른 제공업체의 10일 이상에 비해 완전 설치에 단 4일이 필요하고, 현재 속도보다 50배 빠른 250 Mbps의 Wi-Fi 속도를 제공합니다. 항공사는 연말까지 전체 2석 캐빈 지역 플릿을 장착할 계획입니다.
서비스는 MileagePlus 회원에게 무료로 제공되며, 스트리밍 서비스, 쇼핑 및 게임을 포함한 향상된 엔터테인먼트 옵션을 제공합니다. 이 시스템은 기상 저항성이 있는 위성 간 레이저 링크 기술을 특징으로 하며, 신뢰할 수 있는 연결성을 위해 세계에서 가장 큰 저궤도 위성 별자리를 활용합니다.
United Airlines a installé avec succès Starlink sur son premier avion régional, marquant une avancée significative dans la mise à niveau de la connectivité de sa flotte. La compagnie aérienne prévoit d'équiper plus de 40 avions régionaux par mois jusqu'en 2025, les installations prenant environ 8 heures - 10 fois plus rapide que les équipements non Starlink.
Le système Starlink présente des avantages techniques notables : pesant seulement 85 livres contre 300 livres pour les concurrents, nécessitant seulement 4 jours pour une installation complète contre plus de 10 jours pour d'autres fournisseurs, et offrant des vitesses Wi-Fi allant jusqu'à 250 Mbps - 50 fois plus rapides que les vitesses actuelles. La compagnie aérienne vise à équiper l'ensemble de sa flotte régionale à deux cabines d'ici la fin de l'année.
Le service sera gratuit pour les membres de MileagePlus, offrant des options de divertissement améliorées, y compris des services de streaming, des achats et des jeux. Le système est doté d'une technologie de liaison laser inter-satellites résistante aux intempéries et utilise la plus grande constellation de satellites en orbite basse au monde pour une connectivité fiable.
United Airlines hat erfolgreich Starlink in ihrem ersten Regionalflugzeug installiert, was einen bedeutenden Fortschritt bei der Verbesserung der Flottenkonnektivität darstellt. Die Fluggesellschaft plant, bis 2025 monatlich über 40 Regionalflugzeuge auszustatten, wobei die Installationen etwa 8 Stunden in Anspruch nehmen - 10 Mal schneller als nicht-Starlink-Ausrüstungen.
Das Starlink-System bietet bemerkenswerte technische Vorteile: Es wiegt nur 85 Pfund im Vergleich zu 300 Pfund der Wettbewerber, benötigt nur 4 Tage für die vollständige Installation im Vergleich zu über 10 Tagen bei anderen Anbietern und bietet WLAN-Geschwindigkeiten von bis zu 250 Mbps - 50 Mal schneller als die aktuellen Geschwindigkeiten. Die Fluggesellschaft hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, ihre gesamte zweikabinige Regionalflotte bis Ende des Jahres auszurüsten.
Der Service ist für MileagePlus-Mitglieder kostenlos und bietet verbesserte Unterhaltungsoptionen, einschließlich Streaming-Diensten, Einkaufen und Spielen. Das System verfügt über wetterfeste intersatellitische Laserverbindungstechnologie und nutzt das größte Satellitennetzwerk in niedriger Erdumlaufbahn für zuverlässige Konnektivität.
- Free Wi-Fi service for MileagePlus members
- 50x faster internet speed (250 Mbps)
- Reduced installation time (4 days vs 10+ days)
- Lower equipment weight (85 lbs vs 300 lbs) improving fuel efficiency
- Accelerated rollout of 40+ aircraft monthly
- Aircraft downtime required for installation (4 days per plane)
- Significant fleet-wide installation costs (not disclosed)
Insights
United's Starlink implementation represents a strategic operational efficiency play with multiple impact vectors. The dramatically reduced installation time—8 hours versus industry standards—minimizes revenue-impacting downtime to just 4 days versus 10+ days for competitors. This accelerated timeline enables United to retrofit 40+ aircraft monthly, targeting full regional fleet coverage by year-end.
The 85-pound equipment weight (versus 300 pounds for alternatives) translates to meaningful fuel expense reduction across the fleet—a critical advantage given fuel remains airlines' second-largest operating cost. While specific CapEx figures aren't disclosed, the operational efficiencies from simplified maintenance (no moving parts) and reduced downtime suggest a favorable ROI profile.
The strategic decision to offer free premium connectivity exclusively to MileagePlus members creates a powerful loyalty program enrollment driver without headline price competition. This approach balances customer acquisition with revenue protection better than universal free access would. The 50x speed improvement enables revenue-generating opportunities through expanded in-flight commerce capabilities.
This technology deployment demonstrates United's operational execution capabilities while creating sustainable differentiation in the competitive regional market segment. The accelerated implementation timeline represents a competitive advantage in itself, potentially establishing United as the connectivity leader in regional aviation months before competitors can respond.
United's Starlink implementation represents a genuine technological leap rather than an incremental improvement in aviation connectivity. The 250 Mbps speeds—50x faster than current regional aircraft—delivers true broadband capability versus basic connectivity, enabling streaming and interactive applications previously impossible at altitude.
The system architecture provides multiple technical advantages beyond passenger experience. The electronically-steered design with zero moving parts eliminates the maintenance complexity and failure points inherent in mechanical tracking systems. The weather-resistant inter-satellite laser link technology provides resilience against ground station disruptions that plague traditional solutions.
The dramatically streamlined installation process (completing in 8 hours versus industry standards) demonstrates how next-generation satellite technology has overcome the integration challenges that historically constrained aviation connectivity. The continuous switching between satellites in Starlink's low-earth orbit constellation ensures consistent connectivity across flight paths compared to traditional geostationary solutions with coverage gaps.
From an IT operations perspective, the simplified equipment profile reduces both integration complexity and ongoing maintenance requirements. While competitors typically require extensive aircraft modifications and complex equipment configurations, Starlink's unified design minimizes integration points and potential failure modes, suggesting significantly improved service reliability beyond the headline speed improvements.
Airline expects to outfit 40+ regional aircraft each month through the end of 2025 – average Starlink install time is about 8 hours, 10 times faster than non-Starlink equipment
United shows technical operations benefits like equipment size and weight as well as ease of install and maintenance
The airline expects to outfit 40+ regional aircraft each month beginning in May through the end of 2025 – average Starlink install time is about 8 hours, excluding any de-installation of existing equipment, testing or aircraft modification, approximately 10 times faster than installing non-Starlink equipment.
Earlier this year, the airline said it plans to outfit its entire two-cabin regional fleet by the end of the year. Ultimately, United will add Starlink to its entire fleet.
"Our ability to roll-out this innovative service with unprecedented speed and scale is a direct result of the advanced equipment, technology and team of experts at United," said United's VP of Digital Technology, Grant Milstead. "Starlink has been a terrific partner – our combined spirit of innovation and collaboration will enable us to hit our goal of more than 300 regional aircraft installations before the end of this year."
Starlink stands to not only unlock an incredible onboard experience for United customers – the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky, for free, and new onboard entertainment options – but also enables a more streamlined install, maintenance and overall operation:
- Faster install, means less down time: United is taking each plane out of service for just 4 days to de-install existing equipment, install Starlink, run tests and close-up the aircraft parts opened during the install, versus an average 10+ days for other inflight providers.
- Streamlined equipment: The entire Starlink installation kit weighs 85 pounds, compared to other inflight provider kits that can weigh up to 300 pounds, and is electronically steered with no moving parts, making it easier to transport and install and requiring less maintenance.
- Simple install: Streamlined equipment means a simpler install. Once an aircraft is taken out of service for the install, the existing Wi-Fi is uninstalled. Then the Starlink equipment is installed, including an internal reinforcement structure, external antenna and main cabin wireless access points and power supply. Finally, the team runs system checks before and after closing the interior.
- More fuel-efficient: Starlink's 85 pound footprint on the aircraft means the aircraft requires less fuel to operate than with other inflight providers.
- Weather-proofed: Weather on the ground doesn't hinder connectivity thanks to a weather-proofed inter-satellite laser link technology that allows satellites to communicate to each other and the ground reliably.
- More reliable: Starlink-equipped aircraft will constantly switch between Starlink's world's largest, low-earth orbit constellation of satellites to ensure the best coverage and most reliable Wi-Fi onboard.
United also confirms that customers onboard Starlink-equipped regional aircraft can expect Wi-Fi speeds up to 250 megabits per second (Mbps), which is 50 times faster than current regional aircraft speeds.
Starlink access will be free for all MileagePlus® customers and include game-changing inflight entertainment experiences like streaming services, shopping, gaming and more. Membership to MileagePlus is also free and people can sign-up now at united.com/starlink.
See here for visual assets and visit united.com/starlink for additional information.
About United
At United, Good Leads The Way. With
About Starlink
Starlink delivers high-speed, low-latency internet to users all over the world. As the world's first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit, Starlink delivers broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls and more. Starlink is engineered and operated by SpaceX. As the world's leading provider of launch services, SpaceX is leveraging its deep experience with both spacecraft and on-orbit operations to deploy the world's most advanced broadband internet system.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements that are not statements of historical facts are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on historical performance and current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our future financial results, goals, plans, commitments, strategies and objectives and involve inherent risks, assumptions and uncertainties, known or unknown, including internal or external factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, that are difficult to predict, may be beyond our control and could cause our future financial results, goals, plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the statements. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many risks and uncertainties that affect United's business and market, particularly those identified in the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors" sections in United's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, as updated by our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made only as of the date of this document and except as otherwise required by applicable law or regulation, United undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/united-installs-starlink-on-first-regional-aircraft-302395640.html
SOURCE United Airlines
FAQ
How many regional aircraft will United (UAL) equip with Starlink per month in 2025?
What is the installation time for Starlink on United (UAL) aircraft?
How much faster is Starlink Wi-Fi compared to current United (UAL) regional aircraft speeds?
How much does the Starlink equipment weigh compared to other providers on United (UAL) aircraft?
Will United (UAL) charge for Starlink Wi-Fi service?
