United Airlines to supply free Wi-Fi using Starlink from Elon Musk’s SpaceX

United Airlines said Friday that it plans to supply inflight Wi-Fi without spending a dime using Starlink from Elon Musk’s SpaceX on its a whole lot of jetliners, the largest inflight web deal yet for the satellite service provider.

The team-up comes as airlines have been investing in faster inflight Wi-Fi, sometimes offering it without spending a dime, in a bid to draw higher-paying customers like business travelers.

Delta Air Lines announced in early 2023 that onboard web could be free for members of its SkyMiles loyalty program. Hawaiian Airlines, which has a cope with Starlink, also offers complimentary inflight Wi-Fi. JetBlue Airways has offered free Wi-Fi for years.

SpaceX also previously made a cope with semi-private airline JSX.

United currently offers inflight web from a hodgepodge of providers, including ViaSat and Panasonic, and charges loyalty program members $8 and everybody else $10 for access on domestic and short-haul international flights.

The carrier said it expects to have Starlink on its greater than 1,000 planes over the “next several years” with the primary passenger flights outfitted with the service starting early next yr. United said the Wi-Fi will offer “gate-to-gate” connectivity.

United praised SpaceX’s satellite service, saying it provides “web access all over the world, including over oceans, polar regions and other distant locations previously unreachable by traditional cell or Wi-Fi signals,” a selling point for the U.S. airline with probably the most service over each the Atlantic and Pacific.

SpaceX has steadily expanded its Starlink network and product offerings since its debut in 2020. There are currently about 6,000 Starlink satellites in orbit that connect greater than 3 million customers in 100 countries, based on the corporate. SpaceX initially targeted consumer customers, but has expanded into other markets, including aviation.