United Airlines reached a deal with Elon Musk's SpaceX to provide free Wi-Fi service on all its planes through SpaceX subsidiary Starlink, a broadband satellite service.
The airline on Friday said it plans to begin adding Starlink's high-speed internet to planes starting next year and will add it to its entire fleet of more than 1,000 aircraft in the coming years, in what it says is the largest deal of its kind in the industry.
The new high-speed internet service will allow United passengers to watch live television and streaming services, access social media, shop online, play video games and engage in other activities in-flight at no cost. It will be available both on seatback screens and on personal devices like smartphones and tablets.
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"Everything you can do on the ground, you'll soon be able to do onboard a United plane at 35,000 feet, just about anywhere in the world," United CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement.
"This connectivity opens the door for an even better inflight entertainment experience, in every seatback — more content, that's more personalized. United's culture of innovation is, once again, delivering big for our customers."
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The deal is a victory for SpaceX, which has previously signed agreements for in-flight Wi-Fi with smaller airlines, but United is the largest carrier to commit to offering Starlink at this scale.
"We're excited to team up with United Airlines to transform the inflight experience," SpaceX CEO Gwynne Shotwell said. "With Starlink onboard your United flight, you'll have access to the world's most advanced high-speed internet from gate to gate, and all the miles in between."
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United said that in addition to offering Wi-Fi to passengers in-flight, Starlink's service will also benefit frontline workers at the airline, such as pilots and flight attendants, by providing them with the same internet capabilities in the air that they have on the ground.
