United Installs Starlink on First Regional Aircraft
United Airlines has successfully installed Starlink on its first regional aircraft, marking a significant advancement in its fleet connectivity upgrade. The airline plans to outfit over 40 regional aircraft monthly through 2025, with installations taking approximately 8 hours - 10 times faster than non-Starlink equipment.
The Starlink system brings notable technical advantages: weighing only 85 pounds compared to competitors' 300 pounds, requiring just 4 days for complete installation versus 10+ days for other providers, and delivering Wi-Fi speeds up to 250 Mbps - 50 times faster than current speeds. The airline aims to equip its entire two-cabin regional fleet by year-end.
The service will be free for MileagePlus members, offering enhanced entertainment options including streaming services, shopping, and gaming. The system features weather-proofed inter-satellite laser link technology and utilizes the world's largest low-earth orbit satellite constellation for reliable connectivity.
United Airlines ha installato con successo Starlink sul suo primo aereo regionale, segnando un importante passo avanti nell'upgrade della connettivit脿 della sua flotta. La compagnia aerea prevede di equipaggiare oltre 40 aerei regionali al mese fino al 2025, con installazioni che richiedono circa 8 ore - 10 volte pi霉 veloci rispetto all'equipaggiamento non Starlink.
Il sistema Starlink offre notevoli vantaggi tecnici: pesa solo 85 libbre rispetto alle 300 libbre dei concorrenti, richiede solo 4 giorni per l'installazione completa rispetto ai 10+ giorni di altri fornitori, e fornisce velocit脿 Wi-Fi fino a 250 Mbps - 50 volte pi霉 veloci rispetto alle velocit脿 attuali. La compagnia aerea mira a equipaggiare l'intera flotta regionale a due cabine entro la fine dell'anno.
Il servizio sar脿 gratuito per i membri di MileagePlus, offrendo opzioni di intrattenimento migliorate tra cui servizi di streaming, shopping e giochi. Il sistema 猫 dotato di tecnologia di collegamento laser inter-satellitare resistente alle intemperie e utilizza la pi霉 grande costellazione di satelliti in orbita bassa per una connettivit脿 affidabile.
United Airlines ha instalado con 茅xito Starlink en su primer avi贸n regional, marcando un avance significativo en la actualizaci贸n de conectividad de su flota. La aerol铆nea planea equipar m谩s de 40 aviones regionales al mes hasta 2025, con instalaciones que toman aproximadamente 8 horas - 10 veces m谩s r谩pido que el equipo que no es Starlink.
El sistema Starlink ofrece ventajas t茅cnicas notables: pesa solo 85 libras en comparaci贸n con las 300 libras de los competidores, requiere solo 4 d铆as para la instalaci贸n completa frente a m谩s de 10 d铆as de otros proveedores, y proporciona velocidades de Wi-Fi de hasta 250 Mbps - 50 veces m谩s r谩pidas que las velocidades actuales. La aerol铆nea tiene como objetivo equipar toda su flota regional de dos cabinas para fin de a帽o.
El servicio ser谩 gratuito para los miembros de MileagePlus, ofreciendo opciones de entretenimiento mejoradas que incluyen servicios de streaming, compras y juegos. El sistema cuenta con tecnolog铆a de enlace l谩ser intersat茅lites a prueba de clima y utiliza la constelaci贸n de sat茅lites en 贸rbita baja m谩s grande del mundo para una conectividad confiable.
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United Airlines a install茅 avec succ猫s Starlink sur son premier avion r茅gional, marquant une avanc茅e significative dans la mise 脿 niveau de la connectivit茅 de sa flotte. La compagnie a茅rienne pr茅voit d'茅quiper plus de 40 avions r茅gionaux par mois jusqu'en 2025, les installations prenant environ 8 heures - 10 fois plus rapide que les 茅quipements non Starlink.
Le syst猫me Starlink pr茅sente des avantages techniques notables : pesant seulement 85 livres contre 300 livres pour les concurrents, n茅cessitant seulement 4 jours pour une installation compl猫te contre plus de 10 jours pour d'autres fournisseurs, et offrant des vitesses Wi-Fi allant jusqu'脿 250 Mbps - 50 fois plus rapides que les vitesses actuelles. La compagnie a茅rienne vise 脿 茅quiper l'ensemble de sa flotte r茅gionale 脿 deux cabines d'ici la fin de l'ann茅e.
Le service sera gratuit pour les membres de MileagePlus, offrant des options de divertissement am茅lior茅es, y compris des services de streaming, des achats et des jeux. Le syst猫me est dot茅 d'une technologie de liaison laser inter-satellites r茅sistante aux intemp茅ries et utilise la plus grande constellation de satellites en orbite basse au monde pour une connectivit茅 fiable.
United Airlines hat erfolgreich Starlink in ihrem ersten Regionalflugzeug installiert, was einen bedeutenden Fortschritt bei der Verbesserung der Flottenkonnektivit盲t darstellt. Die Fluggesellschaft plant, bis 2025 monatlich 眉ber 40 Regionalflugzeuge auszustatten, wobei die Installationen etwa 8 Stunden in Anspruch nehmen - 10 Mal schneller als nicht-Starlink-Ausr眉stungen.
Das Starlink-System bietet bemerkenswerte technische Vorteile: Es wiegt nur 85 Pfund im Vergleich zu 300 Pfund der Wettbewerber, ben枚tigt nur 4 Tage f眉r die vollst盲ndige Installation im Vergleich zu 眉ber 10 Tagen bei anderen Anbietern und bietet WLAN-Geschwindigkeiten von bis zu 250 Mbps - 50 Mal schneller als die aktuellen Geschwindigkeiten. Die Fluggesellschaft hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, ihre gesamte zweikabinige Regionalflotte bis Ende des Jahres auszur眉sten.
Der Service ist f眉r MileagePlus-Mitglieder kostenlos und bietet verbesserte Unterhaltungsoptionen, einschlie脽lich Streaming-Diensten, Einkaufen und Spielen. Das System verf眉gt 眉ber wetterfeste intersatellitische Laserverbindungstechnologie und nutzt das gr枚脽te Satellitennetzwerk in niedriger Erdumlaufbahn f眉r zuverl盲ssige Konnektivit盲t.
- Free Wi-Fi service for MileagePlus members
- 50x faster internet speed (250 Mbps)
- Reduced installation time (4 days vs 10+ days)
- Lower equipment weight (85 lbs vs 300 lbs) improving fuel efficiency
- Accelerated rollout of 40+ aircraft monthly
- Aircraft downtime required for installation (4 days per plane)
- Significant fleet-wide installation costs (not disclosed)
Insights
United's Starlink implementation represents a strategic operational efficiency play with multiple impact vectors. The dramatically reduced installation time鈥�8 hours versus industry standards鈥攎inimizes revenue-impacting downtime to just 4 days versus 10+ days for competitors. This accelerated timeline enables United to retrofit 40+ aircraft monthly, targeting full regional fleet coverage by year-end.
The 85-pound equipment weight (versus 300 pounds for alternatives) translates to meaningful fuel expense reduction across the fleet鈥攁 critical advantage given fuel remains airlines' second-largest operating cost. While specific CapEx figures aren't disclosed, the operational efficiencies from simplified maintenance (no moving parts) and reduced downtime suggest a favorable ROI profile.
The strategic decision to offer free premium connectivity exclusively to MileagePlus members creates a powerful loyalty program enrollment driver without headline price competition. This approach balances customer acquisition with revenue protection better than universal free access would. The 50x speed improvement enables revenue-generating opportunities through expanded in-flight commerce capabilities.
This technology deployment demonstrates United's operational execution capabilities while creating sustainable differentiation in the competitive regional market segment. The accelerated implementation timeline represents a competitive advantage in itself, potentially establishing United as the connectivity leader in regional aviation months before competitors can respond.
United's Starlink implementation represents a genuine technological leap rather than an incremental improvement in aviation connectivity. The 250 Mbps speeds鈥�50x faster than current regional aircraft鈥攄elivers true broadband capability versus basic connectivity, enabling streaming and interactive applications previously impossible at altitude.
The system architecture provides multiple technical advantages beyond passenger experience. The electronically-steered design with zero moving parts eliminates the maintenance complexity and failure points inherent in mechanical tracking systems. The weather-resistant inter-satellite laser link technology provides resilience against ground station disruptions that plague traditional solutions.
The dramatically streamlined installation process (completing in 8 hours versus industry standards) demonstrates how next-generation satellite technology has overcome the integration challenges that historically constrained aviation connectivity. The continuous switching between satellites in Starlink's low-earth orbit constellation ensures consistent connectivity across flight paths compared to traditional geostationary solutions with coverage gaps.
From an IT operations perspective, the simplified equipment profile reduces both integration complexity and ongoing maintenance requirements. While competitors typically require extensive aircraft modifications and complex equipment configurations, Starlink's unified design minimizes integration points and potential failure modes, suggesting significantly improved service reliability beyond the headline speed improvements.
Airline expects to outfit 40+ regional aircraft each month through the end of 2025 鈥� average Starlink install time is about 8 hours, 10 times faster than non-Starlink equipment
United shows technical operations benefits like equipment size and weight as well as ease of install and maintenance
The airline expects to outfit 40+ regional aircraft each month beginning in May through the end of 2025 鈥� average Starlink install time is about 8 hours, excluding any de-installation of existing equipment, testing or aircraft modification, approximately 10 times faster than installing non-Starlink equipment.
Earlier this year, the airline said it 聽by the end of the year. Ultimately, United will add Starlink to its entire fleet.
"Our ability to roll-out this innovative service with unprecedented speed and scale is a direct result of the advanced equipment, technology and team of experts at United," said United's VP of Digital Technology, Grant Milstead. "Starlink has been a terrific partner 鈥� our combined spirit of innovation and collaboration will enable us to hit our goal of more than 300 regional aircraft installations before the end of this year."
Starlink stands to not only unlock an incredible onboard experience for United customers 鈥� the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky, for free, and new onboard entertainment options 鈥� but also enables a more streamlined install, maintenance and overall operation:
- Faster install, means less down time: United is taking each plane out of service for just 4 days to de-install existing equipment, install Starlink, run tests and close-up the aircraft parts opened during the install, versus an average 10+ days for other inflight providers.
- Streamlined equipment: The entire Starlink installation kit weighs 85 pounds, compared to other inflight provider kits that can weigh up to 300 pounds, and is electronically steered with no moving parts, making it easier to transport and install and requiring less maintenance.
- Simple install: Streamlined equipment means a simpler install. Once an aircraft is taken out of service for the install, the existing Wi-Fi is uninstalled. Then the Starlink equipment is installed, including an internal reinforcement structure, external antenna and main cabin wireless access points and power supply. Finally, the team runs system checks before and after closing the interior.
- More fuel-efficient: Starlink's 85 pound footprint on the aircraft means the aircraft requires less fuel to operate than with other inflight providers.
- Weather-proofed: Weather on the ground doesn't hinder connectivity thanks to a weather-proofed inter-satellite laser link technology that allows satellites to communicate to each other and the ground reliably.
- More reliable: Starlink-equipped aircraft will constantly switch between Starlink's world's largest, low-earth orbit constellation of satellites to ensure the best coverage and most reliable Wi-Fi onboard.
United also confirms that customers onboard Starlink-equipped regional aircraft can expect Wi-Fi speeds up to 250 megabits per second (Mbps), which is 50 times faster than current regional aircraft speeds.
Starlink access will be free for all MileagePlus庐 customers and include game-changing inflight entertainment experiences like streaming services, shopping, gaming and more. Membership to MileagePlus is also free and people can sign-up now at .
See 聽for visual assets and visit for additional information.
About United
At United, . With
About Starlink
Starlink delivers high-speed, low-latency internet to users all over the world. As the world's first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit, Starlink delivers broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls and more.聽 Starlink is engineered and operated by SpaceX. As the world's leading provider of launch services, SpaceX is leveraging its deep experience with both spacecraft and on-orbit operations to deploy the world's most advanced broadband internet system.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements that are not statements of historical facts are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on historical performance and current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our future financial results, goals, plans, commitments, strategies and objectives and involve inherent risks, assumptions and uncertainties, known or unknown, including internal or external factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, that are difficult to predict, may be beyond our control and could cause our future financial results, goals, plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the statements. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many risks and uncertainties that affect United's business and market, particularly those identified in the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors" sections in United's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, as updated by our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made only as of the date of this document and except as otherwise required by applicable law or regulation, United undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.
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