Photo: British Airways Good news for those flying to and from London. British Airways will begin rolling out free Wi-Fi connections to passengers on its planes, using Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet network. Starlink operations on the company's planes are expected to begin next year.
The airline, which published the announcement under the title "Feels Like Home," promises that the free service will also include streaming, not just messaging, and will also allow passengers to connect using multiple devices simultaneously.
British Airways. Photo: British Airways
The investment in British Airways’ in-flight internet is part of the airline’s £7 billion overall investment plan for a journey to improve the customer experience. The plan includes the recent launch of new lounge concepts in Miami and Dubai, the delivery of more than 35 new aircraft, and the implementation of advanced artificial intelligence technology to improve British Airways’ performance.
Sean Doyle, Chairman and CEO of British Airways: “We’re continuing to focus on transforming our customer experience. Launching Starlink on both our long-haul and short-haul aircraft is game-changing for us and our customers, elevating their experience on board our flights by offering them seamless connectivity from gate-to-gate. Especially on short-haul, this will really differentiate us from our competitors.”
Iberia, British's partner company in the IAG group, also issued an identical announcement stating that the airline is connecting to Starlink services, in all classes of service and at no additional charge.
Iberia defined the move as a significant step that enhances the flight experience and strengthens its commitment to innovation and digital excellence as part of "Flight Plan 2030", which includes investments totaling €6 billion in areas such as digitization, artificial intelligence, and the establishment of an aviation innovation center.