Emirates considers partnership with Elon Musk's Starlink for in-flight internet

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Emirates considers partnership with Elon Musk's Starlink for in-flight internet

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Emirates | Official Website

By Sky Industry News

May 19, 2025

Emirates is reportedly in discussions with Elon Musk's Starlink to provide in-flight connectivity (IFC) services, potentially joining Qatar Airways as a regional partner. Qatar Airways has expressed satisfaction with the service and is close to completing its Boeing 777 fleet outfitting with Starlink.

Currently, Emirates offers three WiFi plans for purchase and provides complimentary access for certain Skywards members. According to Bloomberg, Emirates is negotiating with multiple providers, not just Starlink. On May 15, Musk reshared a post on his X account mentioning these talks.

Starlink's website states that it has secured supplemental type certificates (STC) for several commercial aircraft types. Certification for additional models like the A350 and 737 MAX is expected between Q2 2025 and Q3 2026.

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Emirates' fleet includes numerous aircraft such as the Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A380s. The airline was also supposed to be the launch customer for Airbus’ High Bandwidth Connectivity Plus (HBCplus), which allows flexible selection of managed service providers.

During the Dubai Airshow in November 2023, Emirates committed to retrofitting its A380 aircraft with HBCplus. Airbus announced Amazon’s Project Kuiper would join as an HBCplus supplier at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in April.

Negotiations between Emirates and Starlink have been rumored since March when PaxExAero reported potential government-level discussions. Any deal announcement might align with Donald Trump's visit to the UAE on May 15-16, during which he attended various forums alongside Musk. This trip included significant orders from other Gulf airlines such as Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways before Trump departed from Abu Dhabi on Air Force One.