SpaceX on Monday announced that it had inked a deal with Hawaiian Airlines for the provision of free in-flight Starlink WiFi, days after it struck a similar deal with hop-on jet service JSX.
The deal makes Hawaiian Airlines, which operates around 130 flights a day, the first major airline to ink a deal for Starlink internet on flights.
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Under the agreement, SpaceX will help equip Hawaiian Airlines’ Airbus A330 and A321neo with Starlink devices. The carrier’s upcoming fleet of Boeing 787-9s will also be equipped with Starlink’s low-latency broadband service. However, Hawaiian Airlines will reportedly not equip its Boeing 717 fleet with Starlink terminals as the fleet primarily carries out short flights between the Hawaiian islands.
Although the deal was signed on Monday, April 26, Starlink internet on Hawaiian Airlines will not be available any time soon: reports suggest that the carrier and SpaceX are in the initial stages of implementation, and the installation of the Starlink service is expected to commence some time next year.
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The announcement of the deal comes at a time when a SpaceX application seeking permission to provide internet on flights and shipping vessels is pending with US regulators.
SpaceX, which has launched more than 2,000 Starlink satellites since 2019, is also looking to expand its constellation over the next few years by launching more satellites.
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While SpaceX initially got permission to launch 12,000 satellites for its constellation, it has since applied for permission for an additional 30,000 satellites to create a mega-constellation that can provide internet to virtually anywhere on the planet.
Starlink, which is currently available in select countries, charges $110 monthly for standard service, and $500 per month for its premium service. Deposit holders can purchase a Starlink kit for $549, which costs $599 for new users.