Hawaiian Air announced Thursday it will start using Starlink to provide free Wi-Fi on Airbus A321neo flights from Hawaii to the continental U.S.
On Thursday, Hawaiian Air debuted the new service on an Airbus A321neo flight from Honolulu to Long Beach, California, according to a news release.
The airline plans to roll out the free internet services on its 18 A321neo aircraft over the coming months. By the end of the year, Hawaiian Air will install Starlink antennas on its A330s, and later on its new aircraft, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
The service will be free for guests as soon as they board.
“Starlink’s self-designed aviation terminal installed on Hawaiian's aircraft allows each plane to receive strong, fast internet signals from the satellites orbiting above Earth,” said Will Seidel, director of Starlink engineering at SpaceX, in a statement. “The terminal will seamlessly switch connections from satellite to satellite as planes cross the Pacific, providing an uninterrupted internet experience for passengers.”
Hawaiian Air and Starlink tested the internet during flights to evaluate connectivity under different conditions and identify problems that needed to be fixed. The two companies also worked with the Federal Aviation Administration “to verify that our aviation terminal (antenna) met strict safety standards,” Seidel said.
At least 10 other airline carriers offer free internet, including Qatar Airways, Air New Zealand, and Qantas, but JetBlue Airways and Delta Air Lines are the only other U.S. airlines to do so. Alaska Airlines and Southwest offer Wi-Fi on select flights for $8.
Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.