SpaceX is eyeing major airlines to expand its internet service.Image: Nirosh Wijayaratne (Getty Images)
The urge to post an airplane selfie on Instagram during the flight with the caption “Catch the plane, not the feelings” is often interrupted by a slow and patchy Wi-Fi connection. But the airline industry may be starting to look for ways to improve its current connectivity.
Delta Airlines has reportedly begun testing SpaceX’s Starlink satellites to connect its passengers to onboard WiFi, according to The Wall Street Journal. Delta Chief Executive Ed Bastian reportedly said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that the airline was conducting “exploratory testing” of Starlink technology, but gave no further details on the matter.
SpaceX is aiming to send a whopping 42,000 satellites into low Earth orbit as part of a growing internet megaconstellation. The satellites will provide broadband internet to distant parts of the world. To date, SpaceX has put 2,335 satellites into orbit.
The private space company has reportedly been in talks with several airlines to add Wi-Fi services to planes. In June 2021, Jonathan Hofeller, Starlink’s vice president at SpaceX, told a panel at the Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit that the company plans to focus more on commercial interests by the end of the year.
“We are in talks with several airlines,” Hofeller said. “We have our own aerospace product in development…we’ve had some demonstrations to date and we’re looking to finalize this product for use on aircraft in the near future.”
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk later tweeted that the company sought certification to service various aircraft such as Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.
Airplanes connect to Wi-Fi via a dome-shaped antenna on the plane that picks up signals from satellites. Delta currently has a contract with Viasat, a California-based satellite communications company, for its onboard internet service, which launched in summer 2021. The airline offers its Wi-Fi services for $5 per flight or a $49.95 monthly subscription.
As demand for inflight Wi-Fi increases and people refuse to disconnect during those few hours in the air, airlines may realize they need to work harder to keep their passengers connected to broadband internet .