Qatar Airways has achieved a new milestone in its installation programme of Starlink’s high-speed internet connectivity systems on its Boeing 777 fleet. The airline has now equipped the 30th aircraft with Starlink, passing the halfway mark in the programme.
This milestone comes four months after the airline launched the world’s first Boeing 777 Starlink-enabled flight, and two months after surpassing its initial 2024 target of 12 installations when the 15th aircraft was upgraded.
Qatar Airways says it has significantly accelerated its Starlink rollout, cutting installation time per aircraft from three or two days to just 9.5 hours. The airline has created a seamless process for replacing the existing systems with the new ones, which eliminates any impact on operations or flight schedules by timing the installations to fit within a 12-hour overnight timeframe.
The airline had initially planned to complete the installations in two years; however, the optimised process means it expects to complete the full Boeing 777 fleet rollout in the second quarter of 2025.
“We are delivering on our commitment to provide our passengers with the best in-flight connectivity at an unprecedented pace. In just four months since launching the world’s first Boeing 777 Starlink-equipped flight, we have already installed this ground-breaking service on 30 aircraft – far exceeding our initial targets,” said Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, CEO of Qatar Airways Group.
“This reflects the commendable efficiency and dedication of our team. Starlink wi-fi is a game-changer for our passengers, who will soon enjoy uninterrupted connectivity on even more routes.”