FlightWifiStarlink in-flight Wi-Fi
SpaceX's low-orbit constellation. Low altitude keeps latency close to ground broadband, which is what makes video calls workable in the air.
- Orbit
- Low Earth orbit (LEO), ~550 km
- Typical latency
- roughly 20-50 ms
How it works
- ·Thousands of satellites in low orbit hand traffic between each other and ground stations, so the signal path stays short.
- ·Aircraft carry a flat phased-array antenna with no moving parts.
- ·Airlines almost always bundle it as free wifi, sometimes behind a free loyalty sign-in.
- ·The catch is retrofit pace: airlines announce fleet-wide deals but each aircraft is converted individually, so mid-rollout fleets are a coin toss.
Airlines flying Starlink (19)
| Airline | Where | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | A330, A321 | Varies by aircraft |
| Air Canada | Dash 8, Q400 | Fast, but no calls |
| Air France | 777, A350 | Varies by aircraft |
| Air New Zealand | A320 | Not on every aircraft |
| airBaltic | A220 | Video calls work |
| Alaska Airlines | Fleet rollout | Varies by aircraft |
| British Airways | Fleet rollout | Varies by aircraft |
| Copa Airlines | Fleet rollout | Not on every aircraft |
| Emirates | Whole fleet | Varies by aircraft |
| Gulf Air | Fleet rollout | Varies by aircraft |
| Hawaiian Airlines | A330, A321 | Fast, but no calls |
| Iberia | Fleet rollout | Varies by aircraft |
| Qatar Airways | 777, A350, 787 | Video calls work |
| SAS | Fleet rollout | Varies by aircraft |
| Southwest | Fleet rollout | Varies by aircraft |
| United | Fleet rollout | Varies by aircraft |
| Virgin Atlantic | A350 | Voice calls only |
| WestJet | 737 | Fast, but no calls |
| ZIPAIR | 787 | Fast enough for calls |
Announced or planned (21)
Air SeoulAsiana AirlinesAustrian AirlinesBrussels AirlinesCebu PacificEdelweiss AirEl AlEurowingsflydubaiFlySafairFrontierITA AirwaysJetSMARTJin AirKorean AirLufthansaSalamAirSingapore AirlinesSWISSVietjet AirVolaris
Starlink questions
Is Starlink Wi-Fi fast enough for video calls?
Generally yes. Starlink runs at roughly 20-50 ms latency, close enough to ground broadband for live video, though some airlines still ban calls as cabin policy.
Which airlines use Starlink?
As of August 2026, 19 airlines in the registry are flying Starlink: Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air France, Air New Zealand, airBaltic, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Copa Airlines and more. Another 21 have announced or planned it.
See these verdicts while you book
The free FlightWifi extension shows them inline on Google Flights, Skyscanner and Soar, matched to the exact aircraft on your flight.