en.Wedoany.com Reported - United Airlines launched its first wide-body aircraft equipped with the Starlink connectivity system on a transatlantic commercial flight on Monday (22nd). The flight, operating as United Flight 14 from Newark, New York to London, uses a Boeing 777-200 and provides in-flight internet access via the Starlink low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation.
United Airlines stated that this is the first of approximately 60 wide-body aircraft scheduled to receive the technology in 2026, with the entire long-haul fleet expected to be equipped by the Northern Hemisphere summer of 2027. Currently, over 400 aircraft are operating with the Starlink system, and the company aims to increase this number to about 1,000 by the end of this year.
MileagePlus members can use the connectivity service throughout the entire flight, including over oceans, polar regions, and other areas where traditional ground networks or aviation Wi-Fi are difficult to cover. The first batch of Starlink-equipped Boeing 777-200s will operate international routes connecting the company's major hubs (Newark, Washington, Houston, and San Francisco) with destinations such as London, Frankfurt, Zurich, Paris, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, and Tokyo.
David Kinzelman, Vice President of Customer Service at United Airlines, stated that the introduction of Starlink aims to expand the accessibility of internet connectivity on international flights. He noted that Starlink can provide internet service as fast and reliable as that at home, maintaining a stable connection even at an altitude of 10,668 meters while flying to any location in the world.
Since the deployment of Starlink technology began in the Northern Hemisphere spring of 2026, United Airlines has transported over 18.6 million passengers on aircraft equipped with the system, completed more than 311,000 flights, and connected approximately 9.9 million devices to the network. The company's internal satisfaction metrics related to in-flight internet service have nearly doubled since deployment.
Ankit Gupta, Director of Airline Operations at United Airlines, revealed that the company has developed an installation process that can quickly expand fleet coverage, with the goal of equipping about 1,000 aircraft with the technology by the end of this year.
United Airlines stated that nearly 900 aircraft currently have over 167,000 individual screens installed, with plans to increase this number as new aircraft are delivered and the existing fleet is modernized. After integrating the in-flight entertainment system with the Starlink connectivity system, passengers can access the internet simultaneously via multiple devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and seatback screens. Expected applications include video streaming, online gaming, web browsing, real-time document collaboration, video conferencing, shopping, and booking during the flight.
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