Qatar Airways & Starlink Take In-flight Connectivity to New Heights

Qatar Airways has soared ahead of its competitors with ambitious plans to roll-out Starlink’s internet across its entire Boeing 777 fleet within a year.

Starlink On Board

Passengers can now stay entertained and connected throughout their journey, streaming their favourite shows and live sports, enjoying online gaming, or working at 35,000 feet – all completely free of charge. In fact, the announcement for the service was also uploaded and dispatched from 35,000 feet using Starlink to mark the launch of Qatar Airways’ first Starlink-equipped commercial flight. Qatar Airways has taken the future of in-flight connectivity to greater heights by operating the world’s first Starlink-equipped Boeing 777 aircraft from Doha to London on October 22, 2024.

This milestone establishes Qatar Airways, the World’s Best Airline as voted by Skytrax in 2024, as an industry leader in bringing advanced technology on board. The airline is the largest and first carrier in the MENA region to offer passengers Starlink internet. Starlink is free to all passengers and operates from gate to gate. The national carrier of the State of Qatar is also set to exceed its initial target of three Starlink-equipped aircraft by introducing 12 Boeing 777-300s upgraded with this innovative service by the end of 2024. Qatar Airways has further committed to rolling out the technology on its entire Boeing 777 fleet in 2025 – one year ahead of schedule – with the Airbus A350 fleet following in the summer of 2025.

Engineered by SpaceX, Starlink is the world's first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit that will provide passengers reliable, high-speed internet so they can stay connected with friends and family, stream their favourite entertainment, watch live sports, play online games, or work efficiently at 35,000 feet – all for free and with a simple ‘one-click-access’.

Statements

Qatar Airways’ Group chief executive officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “We are thrilled to launch our first Starlink-equipped flight, proving once again why Qatar Airways is at the forefront of the aviation industry. This milestone, paired with our commitment to rapidly roll-out Starlink across our entire modern fleet, demonstrates our relentless pursuit of offering passengers an in-flight experience that transcends the constraints of traditional air travel. By providing Starlink reliable, seamless internet on board, we are connecting people to the things they love the most even at 35,000 feet, making every journey with us a memorable one.”

Leveraging advanced satellites with its deep experience with both spacecraft and on-orbit operations, Starlink delivers internet access around the world, including over oceans and other remote locations previously unreachable by traditional cell or Wi-Fi signals.

“Overtime you'll find it just gets better and better. This is the minimum and it only gets better from here,” said SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

With the launch of its first Starlink-equipped flight, Qatar Airways has achieved several industry-firsts, including:

• World’s first Starlink equipped Boeing Widebody 777
• First Starlink on Qatar Airways passenger aircraft
• First Starlink equipped passenger aircraft in the MENA region
• First Starlink Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for a Boeing aircraft
• Largest passenger aircraft equipped with Starlink
• Longest range Starlink equipped passenger aircraft

As the first-ever service of its kind in the MENA region, the collaboration with Starlink, the world’s largest satellite internet constellation engineered and operated by SpaceX, marks a new milestone for the national carrier of the State of Qatar. This strategic initiative will further elevate the airline’s unparalleled on-board experience.