Starlink activates on airBaltic

Starlink inflight internet is now active on airBaltic. The move comes six weeks after the first airBaltic aircraft fitted with the hardware launched its test flight program.

The aircraft, YL-CSL, operated a 90-minute charter flight for media, stakeholders, and influencers on Thursday evening. The aircraft will enter commercial service Friday on the Riga-Munich route.

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As with other Starlink implementations, the airBaltic version will be complimentary for all passengers from gate to gate, without a capture portal or other setup steps.

airBaltic first announced its Starlink plans in January 2023 after teasing it via a post on Twitter in June of 2022. In June of 2024 airBaltic CEO Martin Gauss expected the kit to be active before the new year. While that slipped to February 2025, the carrier still expects to fit its fleet by the end of 2025.

In its release airBaltic claims performance up to 500 Mbps to each aircraft. The aircraft is fitted with a single antenna, which supports about half that with the current satellites and RF allowances. In private conversations Starlink suggests that will double as the next generation of satellites comes online, but that timing – and whether it comes to pass – remains to be seen.

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Also of note, some of those planes will fly on behalf of other airlines under the carrier’s ACMI/wet lease program. Whether the service will be active on those flights remains to be seen.

More on airBaltic’s path to Starlink:

• airBaltic’s first Starlink aircraft makes initial test flight
• Starlink sees Qatar Airways, airBaltic both online by end of year, architecture changes beyond
• AirBaltic picks Starlink for inflight internet