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United Airlines debuts first mainline passenger flight with Starlink WiFi

United Airlines debuts first mainline passenger flight with Starlink WiFi
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Scott Kirby, chief executive officer | United Airlines

United Airlines will operate its first mainline flight equipped with Starlink WiFi on October 15, 2025. The flight will depart from Newark Liberty International Airport to Houston Intercontinental and is scheduled to use a special flight number, UA2940, instead of the usual UA686. The number 2,940 was chosen to reflect the total number of Starlink antennas United plans to install across its fleet.

This marks the first time a major U.S. airline will offer Starlink WiFi on a mainline flight, providing connectivity for both personal devices and in-flight entertainment screens. United has committed to installing nearly 3,000 antennas fleetwide and aims to fit Starlink technology onto 15 Boeing 737-800 aircraft each month. The company also plans to certify an additional aircraft type for Starlink by the end of the year.

David Kinzelman, United's Chief Customer Officer, stated: "We're committed to raising the bar. (...) Whether it's catching a live game, streaming an award show, or working, United customers won't miss a beat when they're onboard a Starlink-equipped flight."

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The rollout of Starlink WiFi began earlier this year on United's regional flights under the United Express brand. The Embraer E175 was the first regional aircraft to be equipped with this technology in May 2025. Since then, more than half of United Express regional jets have received Starlink installations. Early customer feedback has been positive.

Tomorrow’s debut mainline aircraft is a Boeing 737-800 registered as N77525. After flying from Newark to Houston with Starlink service available onboard, it is scheduled to operate round-trip flights between Houston and Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport.

Frequent flyers who are members of United’s MileagePlus loyalty program will be able to access Starlink WiFi free of charge when traveling on equipped flights. Passengers will be notified ahead of their departure if their flight offers this service.

Kinzelman added: "when it comes to the onboard experience, and with Starlink, we're changing how people fly." The new high-speed internet will allow passengers not only to stream live content but also play online games and work with large files during their journey.

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