FAA Approves United Airlines’ New Starlink Service for Flights

United Airlines has announced that the FAA has approved its Starlink-equipped aircraft for flights beginning this May, less than eight months after the deal was initially announced. 

The airline will fly the first Starlink-equipped flight with a United Express Embraer 175. 

United is installing Starlink, Elon Musk's satellite Internet service, on around 40 regional jets each month, with plans to fully equip its regional fleet by the end of the year. The FAA gave United a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC).

Test runs will be held on select flights through May to ensure safety and reliability. 

"We know customers are going to love this experience, and we think it will give them yet another reason to choose United," said Grant Milstead, United's Vice President of Digital Technology. "We're working closely with Starlink and the FAA to finish installs on our regional fleet this year and bring the best inflight experience in the sky to more and more people."

When Starlink debuts on United flights, it will be free for all MileagePlus members, providing high-speed Wi-Fi up to 250 Mbps. 

Starlink has been used for the past several years as the major supplier of Internet for cruise ships since satellite-based Internet is more reliable at sea. 

Now, the service is being added to airlines, with Hawaiian Airlines becoming the first U.S. airline to integrate Starlink onto its aircraft. 

The FAA is even toying with the idea of using Starlink to upgrade the U.S. airspace security infrastructure, although it has previously awarded the contract to Verizon. 

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