The airline industry’s adoption of Elon Musk’s satellite internet network has accelerated, with 34 airlines now committed to installing SpaceX’s Starlink system for in-flight Wi-Fi. Notably, 21 of those airlines announced the partnership with Starlink in the past three months.

Unlike traditional commercial airplane WiFi, which relies on ground-based cell towers or older satellite technology, Starlink uses a “constellation” of its low-orbit satellites to try to deliver speeds comparable to the internet most people have at home.

As a result, the recent wave of companies committing to Starlink includes some of the world’s biggest airlines.

Emirates Airlines, the Dubai-based giant known for luxury service, signed on with Musk’s company in November of 2025, followed by British Airways and Qatar Airways’ earlier commitment in May 2024.

A repost on X from Musk shows that the list for Starlink now spans the globe; from Alaska Airlines routes in North America, to Air New Zealand covering the Pacific, and even Gulf Air operating throughout the Middle East. A more comprehensive list is included in the social media post below:

European carriers have been particularly quick to jump on the Starlink ship this year.

The Lufthansa Group announced in January 2026 that it would equip the WiFi system not only in its flagship Lufthansa Airlines but also in its smaller umbrella airlines, including Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Discover Airlines, Edelweiss Air, Eurowings, and SWISS.

Asian carriers have also been quick to sign on for the satellite-based network. Five South Korean airlines – Air Busan, Air Seoul, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, and Korean Air – all committed to using Starlink in December of last year.

Early adopters like Hawaiian Airlines and JSX, which chose to partner up with the internet provider in April 2022, have all stuck by their agreement with Musk’s team as well.

However, pricing strategies vary widely for airborne internet services: some carriers plan to offer Starlink free to all passengers, while others may charge a premium or limit access to higher fare classes.

Progress in the internet aviation sector represents another big step forward for SpaceX, which has used its rockets to deploy more than 9,300 satellites into orbit, per Space.com, since first launching Starlink’s commercial internet service.

Still, the future of Starlink’s growth in the aviation industry now faces significant obstacles.

Installation reportedly requires significant aircraft downtime for retrofitting antenna systems, and regulatory approvals for the internet system vary by country. Regardless, those challenges have not stopped some of the world’s largest airlines from switching to the new internet provider.