American Airlines. Photo: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock.com American Airlines plans to install Starlink Wi-Fi across its entire mainline fleet, bringing high-speed internet to more than 1,000 aircraft as part of a wider effort to upgrade the inflight experience.
Installations are expected to begin in early 2027. The rollout will cover Airbus narrowbody aircraft as well as Boeing narrowbody and widebody planes, giving passengers access to Starlink connectivity across American’s global network.
The airline says the system’s Performance Aero Terminal can deliver speeds of up to 1 Gbps per terminal. The service is intended to support activities including video streaming, online gaming, social media, shopping and work-related tasks, with connectivity available from gate to gate.
“Our customers have told us that dependable connectivity can make a meaningful difference in how they spend their time in the air,” said Heather Garboden, American’s chief customer officer. She added that Starlink would also provide a foundation for future improvements to the passenger experience.
Lauren Dreyer, vice president of Starlink business operations at SpaceX, said the partnership would give passengers fast, reliable internet for streaming, working and keeping in touch with family and friends throughout their journey.
The expanded program builds on American’s announcement last May that it would install Starlink on more than 500 Airbus aircraft. The new plan extends the service to the airline’s Boeing fleet as well, bringing the total planned coverage to more than 1,000 mainline aircraft.
American says more than 165 million passengers travel on its mainline aircraft each year. That figure could rise as the airline expects to take delivery of more than 300 new mainline aircraft in the coming years.
The fleet currently includes more than 500 Airbus narrowbodies, over 400 Boeing narrowbodies and more than 130 Boeing widebodies, for a total of more than 1,030 aircraft.
The planned installation would put American among the world’s largest operators of Starlink-equipped aircraft. The airline has not yet provided a detailed installation schedule for individual aircraft types.