Air France to Equip Entire Fleet With Free Starlink Wi-Fi

An Air France A350-900XWB (Photo: Airbus)

Air France has announced plans to equip its entire fleet with free internet powered by SpaceX’s Starlink starting in 2025. This satellite-based service promises to deliver a “ground-like” Wi-Fi experience in the skies, offering speeds of up to 350 megabits per second. Passengers will be able to connect multiple devices simultaneously.

The French flag carrier said the decision marks a “major step” in its efforts to provide premium services, and that the rollout will begin with its mainline and regional fleets next summer. Starlink’s high-speed internet will be offered to all passengers across all cabins at no additional cost, although users will need to sign up for Air France’s Flying Blue loyalty program to access the service. However, passengers in La Première First Class will be exempt from this requirement. Also please note that service availability may vary depending on flight route and regulatory constraints.

Starlink’s Growing Influence in Aviation

Air France is following the lead of several other airlines, including United, which announced a similar plan to introduce Starlink by 2025 earlier this month. Hawaiian Airlines completed the installation of the service across its Airbus fleet this year, and Qatar Airways, Air New Zealand, and airBaltic are also in the process of equipping their aircraft.

Starlink, a division of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, utilizes a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites to provide broadband-quality, low-latency internet worldwide, even in remote regions or over oceans.

The rollout of Starlink across Air France’s fleet is expected to take several years, and until it is complete, passengers on non-Starlink-equipped jets will continue to have access to existing internet services, including free messaging plans for Flying Blue members. Non-members can purchase Wi-Fi access during the transition period.

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