- United Airlines has installed Starlink on his first regional plane
- The installation time is only four days per plane versus more than 10 days for other Wi-Fi systems
- The airline expects to install Starlink in more than 40 aircraft per month from May
In January, just before the consumer 2025 electronics show, United Airlines announced that it was accelerating its deployment and installation of Starlink in its fleet. It was good news since Grant Milstead, vice president of digital technology for the airline, told us that it was “that allowed the experience of the living room in the sky.”
As? Well, once Starlink is installed on the United Airline plane, the result is free and fast Wi-Fi, while on the floor and in the air, as long as he is a member of Mileagesplus, which is free to join. United Airlines accelerated its planned deployment by confirming that the first commercial flight was expected in an E175 in spring and that all its regional fleet would be covered by the end of the year. Your first main plane will also have Starlink installed by the end of the year.
Now United Airlines has successfully installed Starlink on his first regional plane, learned some new lessons and confirmed some theories about what this process would be like. And for anyone flying to United Airlines, it is great news, since you are one step closer to obtaining this stronger and stable connection in the sky.
The most significant learning is that the installation of the Starlink antenna, wiring and wireless access points inside the aircraft cabin is much less slow than a typical antenna for the Wi-Fi of the traditional airline. United says that approximately eight hours are needed to install the Starlink equipment, which is approximately 10 times faster than the current Wi-Fi equipment in flight (although that eight-hour window does not include uninstalling or the test equipment).
And this is the best part for me as someone who tends to fly to United Airlines, and for any other who does it, you can expect Wi-Fi speeds of up to 250 Mbps in these regional airplanes, which is 50 times faster than current Internet speeds. That means that, when connected, you will not have to worry about losing a text, even one with images, being able to navigate the web, transmit a show or be productive and achieve some work while sailing in the sky. I, for my part, I can’t wait to test it.
In addition, the Starlink antenna and the corresponding equipment weigh 85 pounds and are directed electronically, which means that there are no mobile pieces inside. That makes it easier to move and it is less likely to need maintenance. It is also much lighter (other antennas weigh more than 300 pounds) and United Airlines says that “it means that the plane requires less fuel to operate than with other suppliers on board.”
The fastest installation process also means that the aircraft will be out of service for a shorter time. Currently, Wi-Fi facilities without stars for United take more than 10 days, which means that the plane will not fly for that period. United Airlines expects Starlink installation and tests to take only four days, and that includes deleting the old team. Remember, it is outside the helmet and the interior of the aircraft under the panels, where the access points are located.
These are the steps for the installation process, since it represents a regional aircraft by United Airlines:
- Uninstall the existing Wi-Fi system.
- Install the Starlink system, which consists of the main antenna, an internal reinforcement structure, wireless access points for the cabin and a power supply.
- The installation equipment tests the entire system before and after closing the interior of the plane.
It is clear that United Airlines is still operating at this accelerated schedule and is anxious to bring more passengers to the Internet, starting with regional airplanes. Nor is it a small set of flyers, while the complete Fleet of United Airlines has more than 1,000 aircraft, the regional fleet has more than 300 airplanes.
With one of those planes already made, United Airlines hopes to install Starlink in more than 40 aircraft per month from May before wrapping at the end of 2025. The objective is to cover all regional airplanes and then at least one main plane.
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