Summary
- WestJet partners with TELUS to provide high-speed inflight WiFi via Starlink.
- More airlines, including Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways, are adopting Starlink technology for quality onboard WiFi to attract customers.
- Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency internet is becoming popular in aviation, with over 1,000 aircraft committed worldwide.
Canadian airline Westjet has joined the growing list of carriers that are looking towards Starlink technology to provide high-speed inflight internet. The airline will start providing onboard WiFi towards the end of this year and has partnered with digital solutions provider TELUS to bring this service to its customers.
Westjet to provide inflight WiFi
Westjet has announced a multi-year strategic partnership with TELUS to provide inflight internet on its aircraft. The carrier aims to offer its passengers fast and free internet, presented by TELUS and delivered by Starlink, on its planes, joining many other airlines globally that are offering these services.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
According to WestJet, it will be the “largest North American and first commercial Boeing 737 airline” to offer connectivity using Starlink’s technology platform. More offerings are in store as WestJet and TELUS will provide some more exclusive benefits and perks for WestJet Rewards members and TELUS customers in the coming months. John Weatherill, WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer, commented,
“Through our strategic partnership with TELUS, we are setting a new standard in the Canadian airline industry by offering Starlink’s revolutionary inflight connectivity, and thanks to TELUS we are able to bring this inflight experience to WestJet Rewards guests for free.”
The platform will be available to WestJet Rewards members free of charge from December 2024. Those who do not have a Westjet Rewards account can do so by enrolling in one before their flight. The complete installation on the carrier’s narrowbody fleet is planned for the end of 2025, and widebody airplanes for the end of 2026.
Photo: Heather Dunbar | Shutterstock
Gaining popularity
Several airlines have shown interest or have already adopted Starlink’s technology for inflight connectivity. These include Hawaiian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Air New Zealand, airBaltic, and JSX, among others.
Good-quality onboard WiFi is becoming increasingly popular among airline passengers, and carriers also recognize its potential to attract more customers. Singapore Airlines now offers free WiFi to passengers in all cabins, and American Airlines has also doubled down on providing this service on most of its narrowbody airplanes.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
JetBlue offers free high-speed WiFi to all its customers, with high download speeds, while United provides this service for free to T-Mobile customers and charges other customers an affordable price depending on their destination and duration of the flight.
Starlink for aviation
Jason Fritch, SpaceX’s Vice President of Starlink Enterprise Sales, says that high-speed, low-latency internet is the future of aviation connectivity. And with more than 1,000 aircraft committed to Starlink worldwide, he certainly has a point.
Starlink for Aviation is available for both private and commercial aircraft and is compatible with the most popular modern jetliners, including the Airbus A320s, A330s, A220s, Boeing 777s, and 787s, as well as jets from other plane makers such as Embraer and Gulfstream.
Photo: Vytautas Kielaitis | Shutterstock
Developed by SpaceX, Starlink is a satellite internet constellation that aims to provide wider access to connectivity to many countries around the world. To find out more about how this technology works for airplanes, check out the article below.
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