Some of Singapore Airlines’ A350s will receive an inflight internet upgrade in the years ahead, with the carrier planning to install the Starlink solution on board
Singapore Airlines will fit its A350 and A380 fleet with Starlink’s inflight internet service. Installations are slated to begin in Q1 2027, taking three years to complete.
Singapore Airlines already offers the world’s most comprehensive complimentary in-flight Wi-Fi across our entire fleet. Starlink will take this to the next level by delivering next-generation high-speed connectivity, enabling customers to stay entertained, connected, and productive throughout their journey, with a smoother and seamless experience from take-off to landing.
The companies explicitly call out the carrier’s A350 long haul, A350 ULR, and A380 aircraft types for the service upgrade. That would cover approximately a third of the carrier’s 155 active aircraft. The A350s are flying with Panasonic Avionics‘ eXConnect inflight WiFi service today while the A380s carry the GX Aviation kit from Viasat, though contracted via SITAONAIR when first installed.
The Starlink implementation will continue to be complimentary for passengers, similar to the PAC/GX service today. Unlike the existing implementation, however, it will support media streaming and other high-bandwidth services.
Three additional interesting points with respect to the news:
Historically SpaceX was resistant to issuing press releases regarding partial fleet fittings. Either that has changed with this Singapore Airlines deal or there’s more to come with the story.
Spending three years to install ~50ish airplanes is rather slow, especially when the work can be performed in a short overnight sit as demonstrated by other airlines. That could hint at other types to be included, or simply suggest Singapore Airlines is in no hurry to get the job done.
SpaceX also now includes a line in the release about the Aero terminal supporting up to 1 Gbps, a significant improvement from the initial version. It also helps explain how the triple antennae installation on A380s delivers more than 2 Gbps to the aircraft, a detail first shared when Emirates was publicly acknowledged as the first A380 to be fitted with that configuration.
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Seth Miller has over a decade of experience covering the airline industry. With a strong focus on passenger experience, Seth also has deep knowledge of inflight connectivity and loyalty programs. He is widely respected as an unbiased commentator on the aviation industry.
He is frequently consulted on innovations in passenger experience by airlines and technology providers.
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