In an announcement today, American described Starlink as “the world’s most advanced satellite constellation” and touted its ability to provide powerful broadband internet through its thousands of satellites flying in low Earth orbit.
Starlink will connect to US narrow-body aircraft – smaller aircraft that typically fly shorter routes – starting in the early months of 2027. Starlink, part of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, will connect to the planes through its Aero Terminal, which can support up to 1Gbps of data per antenna.
American promises that Starlink WiFi will enable passengers to not only easily access their email, but also stream entertainment, conduct on-camera work meetings and play online games.
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“American is committed to elevating every aspect of our customers’ journey, which means keeping them connected and comfortable with the assurance that they won’t have to download documents before their flight or worry about lag,” Heather Garboden, American Airlines’ chief customer officer, said in a statement. “Starlink’s higher speeds and lower latency make Wi-Fi more reliable, which matters when customers are trying to load pages, connect to real-time collaboration tools or stay constantly connected while in flight.”
American, the world’s largest airline, uses Viasat or Intelsat for WiFi on its large, wide-body aircraft. Back in January, the company announced it would begin offering free AT&T WiFi to nearly all of its AAdvantage Rewards members.
Starlink already works with several other major airlines, including United and Lufthansa. However, Starlink also faces competition for control of the Internet at an altitude of 30,000 feet. Amazon LEO, Amazon’s satellite internet service, will support WiFi on Delta planes starting in 2028.
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