United Airlines has officially launched SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service on its passenger flights, starting with a Thursday morning route from Chicago O’Hare to Detroit, marking a new chapter in high-speed in-flight connectivity.
Flight UA5717, an Embraer E-175 equipped with Starlink technology, departed O’Hare International Airport at 7:35 a.m., offering passengers uninterrupted, gate-to-gate broadband access. The milestone flight is part of United’s broader initiative to bring faster, more reliable internet to its fleet.
The airline announced the debut on X, formerly Twitter: “That lightning-fast Wi-Fi we told you about? It’s here. Our first customers just found out what it’s like to break the Wi-Fi barrier and stream, scroll, shop, and game just like at home with Starlink. And it’s FREE for MileagePlus members. Rolling out across our fleet now.”
Starlink, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, utilizes a constellation of over 7,000 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to deliver high-speed internet globally, including to remote and underserved regions. United is currently the only major U.S. airline offering Starlink service and plans to expand its availability to its entire two-cabin regional fleet, with mainline aircraft scheduled to follow by the end of the year.
Ahead of the public launch, Sean Cudahy of The Points Guy tested the system and reported impressive performance. “I ran a speed test, and it clocked the Wi-Fi at 217 Mbps of download speed, and 26.8 Mbps of upload speed,” Cudahy noted, adding that the service was fast and stable enough for streaming and other bandwidth-heavy activities.
In addition to its aviation ambitions, SpaceX has revealed broader plans for Starlink, including its potential use as a GPS alternative. In a recent filing to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the company described Starlink’s potential to deliver Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services.
“One opportunity stands out as a particularly ripe, low-hanging fruit: facilitating the rapid deployment of next-generation low-Earth orbit satellite constellations that can deliver PNT as a service alongside high-speed, low-latency broadband and ubiquitous mobile connectivity,” SpaceX wrote.
As United Airlines commits to scaling up Starlink across its fleet, the move signals a transformative shift in commercial aviation. With the promise of high-speed, uninterrupted connectivity at cruising altitude, Starlink is not only redefining in-flight entertainment but also positioning itself as a cornerstone of future navigation and communication systems.
