American Airlines Just Widened Its Starlink Bet to Nearly Every Jet

American Airlines has broadened its plan for Starlink high-speed WiFi to include its whole mainline fleet. That means more than 900 Boeing and Airbus narrowbodies and more than 130 Boeing widebodies will be equipped, far beyond the original scope of the deal.

When American announced its Starlink agreement in May, it covered only the airline’s fleet of more than 500 Airbus narrowbodies. The Boeing aircraft and the 600-plus American Eagle regional jets were expected to keep relying on slower WiFi from Viasat, SES and other providers.

The change is significant for passengers because inconsistent WiFi is one of the most common complaints on flights. A fleet-wide rollout means that, once installations finish, the connection a traveler gets should depend far less on which plane the airline happens to assign to the route.

Installation takes time, since each aircraft has to be taken out of service for work, so the benefits will arrive gradually. The regional jets that carry many short and mid-size routes are not part of this expansion, so flyers on American Eagle flights should not expect an upgrade yet.

Sources: Travel Weekly, American Airlines Newsroom