Qatar Airways has officially launched the world's first Boeing 777 aircraft equipped with Starlink technology, which expands communication opportunities for passengers during the flight. This is reported by the airline's press service.
The first flight on a Boeing 777 aircraft took off from Doha (Qatar) to London Heathrow (Great Britain) on Tuesday, October 22.
To demonstrate the event, Qatar Airways CEO Badr Al Meir held a video call with Starlink founder Elon Musk during a flight at an altitude of 35,000 feet (approximately 10.7 km).
Having ambitious plans to roll out Starlink high-speed internet on all Boeing 777 aircraft within next year, Qatar Airways is setting a new standard in the aviation industry and is a direct challenge to competitors who offer passengers lower speed and often unstable paid internet services.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000Passengers on a Starlink-equipped flight can enjoy seamless connectivity for free throughout the flight.
Qatar Airways aims to exceed its initial target of three Starlink-equipped aircraft by introducing 12 Boeing 777s by the end of 2024. The airline plans to roll out the technology to its entire Boeing 777 fleet in 2025.
In December 2023, Air New Zealand announced that Starlink services would be installed on two domestic aircraft in late 2024. However, the planned tests of the technology were later postponed to 2025.
On September 13, United Airlines announced that it had signed the largest Starlink service agreement in the industry to date. It has announced that testing will begin in 2025 and will later be rolled out to its entire fleet – more than 1,000 aircraft – over the next few years.
At the end of September, Air France announced plans to roll out Starlink internet services across its entire fleet starting in the summer of 2025.