The days of spotty – or worse, no – in-flight Wi-Fi are numbered, says Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran.
Reliable and fast Wi-Fi will become “ubiquitous” in full-service carriers, “Squawk Box Asia” said on Friday.
But it’s not just Wi-Fi that will do. As airlines race to entice passengers with fast — and ideally free — internet in the sky, SpaceX’s Starlink service has emerged as the latest “it” product to be on board.
Air New Zealand announced in December 2023 that the Starlink service would be installed on two domestic planes by the end of 2024. The service, which provides high-speed internet via about 6,000 satellites, will allow passengers to stream video and send instant messages on a variety of devices. . the company stated.
However, passengers will have to wait longer for the service to be launched on Air New Zealand. Foran told CNBC on Friday that the planned Starlink test on the plane has been pushed back to 2025.
“Early next year, you will see it on one of the turbo props that Starlink will operate, and also on one of the jets,” he said. “We have tested it in several ways, but now to get it right in the field and operational is the next step. And from there, we can then assess the rollout.”
Starlink in scale
On September 13, United Airlines said it had signed the industry’s largest agreement for Starlink service to date. The airline announced that testing will begin in 2025, and will eventually be rolled out to its entire fleet – more than 1,000 aircraft – over the next few years.
Starlink will allow passengers to access fast and reliable internet services around the world, including remote and inaccessible areas, such as mid-ocean and polar regions.
United about what Starlink allows passengers to do during the flight
- Live streaming: watch live TV and movies without buffering or time lag
- Works: share files, upload and download documents
- Games: play and watch live games
- E-Commerce: shop, schedule delivery, make a reservation
The two airlines said the Starlink service will be provided to customers “for free”, or bundled into the flight ticket rather than having to be purchased mid-flight, eliminating another pain point for those wanting fast connectivity in the sky.
Foran said he had met with representatives of Starlink and its owner, SpaceX, two hours before speaking to CNBC.
“We’ve made good progress on this,” he said. “We are well down this path … I think it will be a fantastic offering.”
Starlink is quickly becoming the internet provider of choice in the sky, offering connectivity with major commercial carriers like Hawaiian Airlines to smaller ones like JSX.
At the end of September, Air France announced plans to roll out Starlink internet service across its entire fleet, starting in the summer of 2025.
In a press release, the French operator described the move as “a major step in the high-end market move.”
