Air France is all-in on Starlink. The carrier confirmed today it will the LEO satellite internet service on board, confirming prior rumors. Installations will begin in 2025, eventually rolling out across the carrier’s entire fleet.
Notably, Air France indicates that the service will be “completely free of charge in all travel cabins… accessible to customers by logging into their Flying Blue account.” Tying complimentary Wi-Fi to a loyalty program account is not new. But with its initial airline customers Starlink opposed that positioning.
Requiring login to a Flying Blue account implies a capture portal between passengers and the open internet, something Starlink has historically opposed for its airline customers. Starlink executives have suggested a willingness to reconsider that position, but were clear that they would strongly negotiate against it with airlines. It now appears they’ve cracked.
It is also unclear if a paid option will be available for non-members, or if they will only gain access by setting up an account.
The deal also calls for installation on the carrier’s regional fleet; to date those planes have not featured internet service on board.
Air France expects fitted aircraft to begin flying in Summer 2025. This will include displacing installations from Viasat (Inmarsat GX), Intelsat, Panasonic Avionics, and Anuvu.
The Air France deal follows quickly after United Airlines announced its own full fleet transition plans to Starlink. The two are the latest airlines in a growing collection that includes JSX, Hawaiian (now fully deployed on its Airbus fleet), airBaltic, WestJet, Qatar Airways, Air New Zealand, and more. Starlink claims a backlog of approximately 1,500 aircraft pending installs.
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