Overview
- United operated its first Starlink-equipped transatlantic widebody flight when Flight 14 departed Newark for London on Monday aboard a Boeing 777-200.
- The airline says about 400 aircraft already have Starlink and that this 777 flight is the start of a push to equip nearly 60 widebodies this year, finish all widebodies by next summer, and reach close to 1,000 Starlink planes by year-end.
- Starlink connects through SpaceX’s low‑Earth‑orbit satellite constellation, which reduces signal delay compared with older systems and keeps service working over oceans and polar routes that traditional satellites struggle to cover.
- United reports heavy early use and satisfaction: since last spring Starlink-equipped planes have carried roughly 18.6 million passengers across more than 311,000 flights and powered about 9.9 million devices.
- Regulatory and technical steps cleared the way for the speeded rollout: the FAA approved Starlink on specific aircraft types in 2025 and quick installation times have let United move from regional jets to mainline and now widebody aircraft.