EasyJet to Equip Fleet With Elon Musk's Starlink Wi-Fi
Budget airline aims to enhance passenger experience with high-speed inflight internet, with rollout planned from mid-2027.
EasyJet has announced a significant upgrade to its passenger services, revealing plans to offer inflight Wi-Fi for the first time by leveraging Elon Musk's Starlink connectivity. The budget airline has entered into an agreement with Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, to equip its modern fleet with high-speed internet.
The rollout is slated to begin in the first half of 2027 and is expected to be completed across the airline's A320, A320neo, and A321neo aircraft by early 2028. This initiative aims to allow passengers to stream content, play games, and browse the internet on their personal devices during flights.
Kenton Jarvis, CEO at EasyJet, stated that the move is intended to enhance the customer experience in an increasingly digital world. "In an increasingly digital world, staying connected matters more than ever to many of our customers, whether that's holidaymakers looking to unwind with inflight entertainment, or our business customers keeping up to speed with what's happening on the ground," Jarvis said. He added that the partnership with SpaceX aligns with EasyJet's commitment to innovation and providing travelers with desired options.
Beyond entertainment and communication, the inflight Wi-Fi is expected to offer passengers access to real-time flight information via the EasyJet app and website. It will also provide destination-specific details, such as local weather, transportation, and tourism information. The technology could also potentially enable passengers to order from the inflight menu directly from their seats.
The announcement follows a public dispute between Musk and Ryanair's CEO, Michael O'Leary, in January. O'Leary had previously expressed skepticism about the cost and feasibility of using Starlink technology on budget airline flights, leading to a heated exchange with Musk on social media.