United Airlines successfully installed Starlink on its first aircraft, and the promised speeds are up to 50 times faster
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
United Airlines has installed Starlink on its first regional aircraft
The install time is just four days per aircraft versus 10+ days for other Wi-Fi systems
The airline expects to install Starlink on over 40 aircraft a month starting in May
Back in January, right ahead of the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show, United Airlines announced that it was speeding up its rollout and installation of Starlink across its fleet. It was good news as Grant Milstead, VP of Digital Technology for the airline, told us that it was 'kind of enabling the living room in the sky experience.'
How? Well, once Starlink is installed on United Airline's aircraft, the result is free, fast Wi-Fi while on the ground and in the air as long as you are a member of MileagePlus, which is free to join. United Airlines sped up its planned rollout by confirming that the first commercial flight was expected on an Embraer E175 in the spring and that its entire regional fleet would be covered by the end of the year. Its first mainline aircraft would also have Starlink installed by the end of the year.
Now United Airlines has successfully installed Starlink on its first regional aircraft, learned some new lessons, and confirmed some theories about what this process would look like. And for anyone who flies United Airlines, it's great news as you're one step closer to getting this stronger, more stable connection in the sky.
The most significant learning is that installing the Starlink antenna, the wiring, and the wireless access points inside the cabin of the aircraft is a lot less time-consuming than a typical antenna for traditional airline Wi-Fi. United says that it takes about eight hours to install the Starlink equipment, which is about 10 times faster than the current in-flight Wi-Fi equipment (though that eight-hour window doesn't include de-installation or the testing equipment).
And here's the best part for me as someone who tends to fly United Airlines, and for any others who do – you can expect Wi-Fi speeds up to 250Mbps on these regional aircraft, which is 50 times faster than current internet speeds. That means, when connected, you won't have to worry about missing a text – even one with images – being able to browse the web, stream a show, or be productive and accomplish some work while cruising in the sky. I, for one, can't wait to put that to the test.
Additionally, the Starlink antenna and corresponding equipment weigh 85 pounds and are electronically steered, which means no moving parts inside. That makes it easier to move, and less likely to need maintenance. It's also a lot lighter (other antennas weigh upwards of 300 pounds) and United Airlines says it 'means the aircraft requires less fuel to operate than with other inflight providers.'
The faster installation process also means the aircraft will be out of service for a shorter time. Currently, non-Starlink Wi-Fi installations for United take over 10 days, meaning the plane will not be flying for that period. United Airlines expects the Starlink installation and testing to take just four days, and that includes removing the old equipment. Remember, it's outside on the aircraft's hull and inside under panels, where access points are located.
Here are the steps for the installation process as it stands for United Airlines regional aircraft:
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 install team tests the whole system before and after closing the aircraft's interior.
It's clear that United Airlines is still operating on this sped-up schedule and is eager to get Starlink-powered internet to more passengers, starting with regional aircraft. It's not a small set of flyers either – while United Airlines' entire fleet is over 1,000 aircraft, the regional fleet is over 300 airplanes.
With one of those airplanes already done, United Airlines expects to install Starlink on over 40 aircraft a month starting in May before wrapping at the end of 2025. The goal is to cover all regional aircraft and then at least one mainline airplane.
United Airlines and Apple AirTags are ready to help reunite you with your lost bags
Delta Air Lines just announced its vision for the future of flying – here are my 3 favorite features coming to its planes and app
No, iOS 18.3 doesn't install Starlink on your iPhone – here's what the latest update does, and why you should download it
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Analysis-Why Switzerland's strong franc could lead it back to negative interest rates
By Amanda Cooper and Naomi Rovnick LONDON (Reuters) -Switzerland could be the first big economy to return to negative interest rates to fight a surging currency and falling prices, highlighting how quickly central bankers may be running out of conventional policy tools as a global trade war rages on. Data this week showing Swiss consumer prices fell in May prompted traders to prepare for the Swiss National Bank to cut its 0.25% benchmark rate to below zero, as it struggles to cool the red-hot franc. In 2022, Europe's central banks left behind a decade of below-zero rates that hurt banks and savers alike. Introduced to stimulate lending, negative rates turned money orthodoxy on its head by charging banks to park deposits with their central bank rather than paying them interest for doing so. Many policymakers have since concluded they didn't work as well as hoped, weighing on bank profits at a time when they needed to invest and pushing investors into riskier assets. As Switzerland tries to stimulate its economy it is under scrutiny by the U.S. administration for how it deals with its currency, traditionally seen as a safe-haven in unstable times. U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war has raised the risk of inflationary pressures and slower growth - a nightmare combination for central bankers, politicians, businesses and households. Complicating matters for non-U.S. policymakers is an across-the-board appreciation in tariff-sensitive currencies, from the euro and pound to the Korean won and Taiwan dollar, which hurts their respective exports and economies. The Swiss franc has gained nearly 11% against the dollar in 2025, marking its best performance at this point in the year since 2011. The problem the SNB and its peers face is that traditional policy tools, such as talking their currencies down or tinkering with short-term lending rates, are ineffectual in this environment. "Drivers of inflation which lie out of the control of any central bank always cause them to get into a bad equilibrium or a policy error," James Athey, fixed income manager at Marlborough, said. The SNB "are bullied by the FX market into going to negative rates," he said. The SNB declined to comment on that notion, but separately on Friday said it would intervene in currency markets where necessary to keep inflation on track after Switzerland was added to a U.S. list of countries monitored for unfair currency and trade practices. While other central banks are also dealing with the fallout of a weaker dollar, Switzerland has the lowest rates among big developed economies, followed by Japan, at 0.5%. Japan too is fighting to anchor inflation and the yen has gained 9% year-to-date. DON'T BE NEGATIVE Japan and euro zone governments plan huge spending packages that could stimulate growth and keep negative rates off the menu. The European Central Bank on Thursday cut rates to 2% and traders expect just one more quarter-point cut this year. The Bank of Japan is still in tightening mode, even as it too has been stymied by uncertainty over tariffs. "There are fairly good reasons to think that negative rates are not impossible over the next few years ... but I just don't think at the moment, unless there's a big shift in the economic narrative, that we're going to get even close to a point of negative interest rates anywhere apart from the SNB," George Moran, European economist at RBC, said. Trump has berated Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for being too slow to loosen U.S. monetary policy, while other central banks cut rates. Exchange rates are another bugbear: he has repeatedly called out China for keeping the yuan artificially low to keep exports cheap. Other countries that use currency intervention as a tool, such as Japan and Switzerland, also risk drawing Trump's ire, exactly when they are racing to seal trade deals with him. The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday in its semi-annual currency report did not label Switzerland a currency manipulator, but it did add it to its "monitoring list" that includes China, Japan and Taiwan, among others. The SNB on Friday said it did not engage in manipulation of the franc. "It's going to be difficult for them (Switzerland) to be overly aggressive on the currency, but they have been in the past," Toby Gibb, head of investment solutions at UK fund manager Artemis, said. "While the obvious thing these countries will want to do is devalue, that's going to put them in the firing line," he said. Marlborough's Athey said the rapid shifts taking place in the global economy is raising the risk of mis-steps. "All that has to increase the chances that we don't know, that we're wrong. That's all of us. Investors, central banks, everyone," he said. "We're more likely to be wrong about where we are, where we're headed and what the outcomes for economies, inflation and currencies will be." (Additional reporting by Karin Strohecker in London, John Revill in Zurich and Vidya Ranganathan in Singapore; Editing by Dhara Ranasinghe, Elisa Martinuzzi and Elaine Hardcastle) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Analysis-Why Switzerland's strong franc could lead it back to negative interest rates
By Amanda Cooper and Naomi Rovnick LONDON (Reuters) -Switzerland could be the first big economy to return to negative interest rates to fight a surging currency and falling prices, highlighting how quickly central bankers may be running out of conventional policy tools as a global trade war rages on. Data this week showing Swiss consumer prices fell in May prompted traders to prepare for the Swiss National Bank to cut its 0.25% benchmark rate to below zero, as it struggles to cool the red-hot franc. In 2022, Europe's central banks left behind a decade of below-zero rates that hurt banks and savers alike. Introduced to stimulate lending, negative rates turned money orthodoxy on its head by charging banks to park deposits with their central bank rather than paying them interest for doing so. Many policymakers have since concluded they didn't work as well as hoped, weighing on bank profits at a time when they needed to invest and pushing investors into riskier assets. As Switzerland tries to stimulate its economy it is under scrutiny by the U.S. administration for how it deals with its currency, traditionally seen as a safe-haven in unstable times. U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war has raised the risk of inflationary pressures and slower growth - a nightmare combination for central bankers, politicians, businesses and households. Complicating matters for non-U.S. policymakers is an across-the-board appreciation in tariff-sensitive currencies, from the euro and pound to the Korean won and Taiwan dollar, which hurts their respective exports and economies. The Swiss franc has gained nearly 11% against the dollar in 2025, marking its best performance at this point in the year since 2011. The problem the SNB and its peers face is that traditional policy tools, such as talking their currencies down or tinkering with short-term lending rates, are ineffectual in this environment. "Drivers of inflation which lie out of the control of any central bank always cause them to get into a bad equilibrium or a policy error," James Athey, fixed income manager at Marlborough, said. The SNB "are bullied by the FX market into going to negative rates," he said. The SNB declined to comment on that notion, but separately on Friday said it would intervene in currency markets where necessary to keep inflation on track after Switzerland was added to a U.S. list of countries monitored for unfair currency and trade practices. While other central banks are also dealing with the fallout of a weaker dollar, Switzerland has the lowest rates among big developed economies, followed by Japan, at 0.5%. Japan too is fighting to anchor inflation and the yen has gained 9% year-to-date.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Court denies Apple's request to pause ruling on App Store payment fees
A U.S. court denied Apple a stay on a ruling that requires the company to stop charging developers for payments made outside the App Store through links in apps. This means in the U.S., Apple will no longer be able to charge developers a fee when customers click on a link within their app that takes them outside the App Store for payment, resulting in a potential loss of revenue to the company. "Apple 'bears the burden of showing that the circumstances justify an exercise of [our] discretion,'" the court said in a filing. "After reviewing the relevant factors, we are not persuaded that a stay is appropriate," it added. Epic Games' head Tim Sweeney applauded the court's ruling and said, "The long national nightmare of Apple tax is ended," in a post on X. In April, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled in favor of Epic Games, saying that Apple was in 'willful violation' of a 2021 injunction that barred the company from forcing anticompetitive pricing. This essentially means that Apple must change the App Store rules and allow developers to freely link to their website for purchasing digital goods. In response, Apple filed an emergency motion last month seeking a stay on the court's ruling. The company also filed an appeal against the ruling around the same time. Last year, Apple began allowing other apps to link out and use non-Apple payment mechanisms, but it still took a 27% fee and added what critics called 'scare screens.' With the new ruling, both practices will be eliminated. Large companies are already making changes to their apps, with Spotify and Amazon publishing new updates that let users pay for their subscriptions and purchases outside the App Store. With the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) slotted for next week, this is a big blow to Apple. Earlier this week, the company published a report saying that it generated $1.3 trillion in billings and sales in 2024. It added 90% of those sales didn't generate commission revenue for Apple. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
