KLM, Royal Air Maroc Select Starlink

Another pair of airlines committed to Starlink this week, adding more than 100 aircraft to the installation backlog. KLM will fit its long-haul planes with the high-speed inflight internet service while Royal Air Maroc intends to deploy the solution fleet-wide.

For KLM the shift will see its intercontinental fleet offer free internet service on board for FlyingBlue members. The European fleet has offered complimentary internet, powered by Viasat‘s satellite solution, since the beginning of this year.

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The move also sees KLM’s long-haul fleet shift towards Air France’s position of rolling out Starlink fleet-wide. This move does not call for KLM’s single-aisle planes to make the switch, at least not yet.

We are making a long-standing wish of our passengers a reality: fast, free Wi-Fi on intercontinental flights starting in mid-2027. This will allow passengers to stay connected even high above the ocean. The introduction of free Wi-Fi is part of KLM’s continued efforts to provide its passengers with a comfortable, digitally connected travel experience. – Marjan Rintel – CEO KLM

KLM’s long-haul fleet operates with SES’s 2Ku solution on board today and has for nearly a decade.

Royal Air Maroc will deploy the solution fleet-wide, as the first Africa-based airline to choose Starlink as a supplier. The company did not issue a press release with the news, choosing to announce it via social media posts instead.

Notably, the RAM announcement does not indicate the service will be free to passengers. This could mean the carrier has chosen to follow the path of Copa Airlines and the Indigo Partners airlines (Wizz, Frontier, etc.) with a paid model for the offering.

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For both airlines the vast majority of routes and flights should be within Starlink’s service area, unlike two other recent airlines announcing activation (Korean/Asiana) and selection (VietJet) of the supplier. That remains a challenge for Starlink, though most airlines seem to not care too much.