United Airlines has installed the first of its Starlink inflight connectivity system on a regional aircraft, and has shared details of its technical fitment and maintenance processes. The airline plans to go on to outfit more than 40 of its regional aircraft fleet each month, beginning in May through the end of 2025.
The airline says the average time required to install a Starlink system on a regional aircraft is around eight hours, excluding any removal of existing equipment, testing or aircraft modification requirements – approximately 10-times faster than installing non-Starlink equipment, according to United.
Earlier this year, the airline said it plans to outfit its entire two-cabin regional fleet by the end of the year, and ultimately aims to add Starlink to its entire fleet.
Starlink stands to not only unlock an incredible onboard experience for United customers – the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky, for free, and new onboard entertainment options – but also enables a more streamlined install, maintenance and overall operation.
How United’s Starlink installation process works
United will take each plane out of service for just four days, during which time any existing wi-fi connectivity equipment is removed, a Starlink system installed, including an internal reinforcement structure, external antenna, main cabin wireless access points and power supply.
The team then runs system checks, re-seals any aircraft parts opened during the installation, and tests the system again. The airline says this process would take on average 10 days or more with other systems.
You can see how the process works in this time-lapse video.
The entire Starlink installation kit weighs 85 pounds (38.5kg), whereas some other inflight provider kits can weigh up to 300 pounds (136kg). The system is electronically steered with no moving parts, making it easy to transport and install. It also has low maintenance requirements due to the weather-proofed inter-satellite laser link technology, which constantly switches between Starlink’s low-earth orbit (LEO) constellation of satellites to ensure optimal service.
“Our ability to roll-out this innovative service with unprecedented speed and scale is a direct result of the advanced equipment, technology and team of experts at United,” said Grant Milstead, United’s VP of digital technology. “Starlink has been a terrific partner – our combined spirit of innovation and collaboration will enable us to hit our goal of more than 300 regional aircraft installations before the end of this year.”
United says that customers onboard its Starlink-equipped regional aircraft can expect wi-fi speeds up to 250 megabits per second (Mbps), which is 50 times faster than the speeds currently found on its regional aircraft. The service will also be free to use for United’s MileagePlus members.
