SIA to use Starlink for in-flight WiFi from 2027 on Airbus A350, A380

[SINGAPORE] Singapore Airlines (SIA) is set to roll out Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellite-based WiFi service on its long-haul and ultra-long haul Airbus A350s and Airbus A380s, it said on Monday (May 4).

The upgraded Internet will be launched on the flag carrier’s fleets from the first quarter of 2027, with completion expected by the end of 2029. Its Boeing 777-300ER fleets, which also fly long-haul routes, are not slated for the upgrade.

Starlink WiFi offers “multi-gigabit” connectivity to the aircraft, allowing for faster Internet access in the air that can also support video streaming, social media content sharing, gaming and large file sharing.

Passengers will also have “seamless connectivity from take-off to landing”, said SIA.

Unlimited onboard WiFi will be provided for SIA passengers in suites, first class, business class, alongside PPS Club and KrisFlyer members.

Starlink is a satellite Internet constellation operated by private American space company SpaceX. It uses more than 10,000 satellites in low-Earth orbit to deliver internet connectivity, which allows it to offer in-flight WiFi areas where current, traditional Wi-Fi coverage is lost.

Ookla, provider of Internet speed test website Speedtest, on Apr 28 noted that among the airlines that had more than 50 per cent consistency in in-flight connectivity, “nearly all” were using Starlink for in-flight WiFi.

SIA’s current WiFi connectivity clocked in at 21 per cent, compared with Starlink-using airlines such as Qatar Airways, which had an 81.6 per cent connectivity.

The analysis was based on a threshold of 25 megabits per second (Mbps) download speed and a 3 Mbps upload speed as the “practical requirements for digital productivity and entertainment”, said Ookla.