After starting the lightning-fast Wi-Fi service in the month of May, United Airlines has temporarily shut the usage of its Starlink broadband service across much of its regional fleet due to technical issues that interfered the comminucation system.
United started the Starlink access in its flights using a free-with-ads model in May, becoming one of a select club, including Hawaiian Airlines and the boutique air carrier JSX, to offer flyers SpaceX’s satellite broadband service.
JSX isn’t a major name in the airline industry. The company describes itself as a “hop-on jet service,” and currently offers flights in 13 cities in the US, mainly in the California, Nevada, Arizona area.
Worth mentioning here, airBaltic, the flag carrier of Latvia, received the first Starlink modification kit for its Airbus A220-300 fleet.
Ten aircraft of the Latvian carrier are equipped with SpaceX's Starlink internet connectivity system, Pauls Calitis, acting CEO and Chief Operating Officer of airBaltic, said in a recent media call on the airline's first quarter financial results.
He said that the airline wants to equip all aircraft as soon as possible, but the top priority in the summer is to get all aircraft flying, as Starlink installation requires the aircraft to spend several days on the ground.
After a month's operation, United Airlines flight crew have been reporting static interference on the radio lines after completing radio transmissions on aircraft equipped with the new Starlink antennas.
From regulatory front, the FAA has already issued a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the Embraer 175 and United rolled out the first commercial flight to be onboard a United Express Embraer 175.
United have been working with Starlink to secure an FAA STC to install Starlink on every United aircraft type getting the new equipment (e.g. Embraer 175) – more than 16 total regional and mainline aircraft models.
According to the FAA, the process to secure each STC can include design, installation, testing and submitting the package for FAA approval.
United announced the rollout on X, stating,
“That lightning-fast Wi-Fi we told you about? It’s here. Our first customers just found out what it’s like to break the Wi-Fi barrier and stream, scroll, shop, and game just like at home with Starlink. And it’s FREE for MileagePlus members. Rolling out across our fleet now.”
From aviation to navigation, United’s adoption signals a broader shift toward satellite-driven connectivity on long flights. Before to this hiccup, with plans to equip more aircraft, United and Starlink are have been working to redefine in-flight internet, promising seamless digital access at 30,000 feet.
Starlink access has been shut down on almost two dozen Embraer E175 regional jets, according to The Points Guy. The issue stems from static interference between the antennas that pilots use to communicate with air traffic controllers and Starlink’s antennas.
United officially confirmed the reports in a statement, saying that this type of radio interference was “fairly common with any new airline Wi-Fi provider” and that the issues did not represent a flight safety risk.
“We expect the service to be back up and running on these aircraft soon,” said a United spokesperson.
The Wi-Fi service leverages Starlink’s 7,000+ low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to deliver broadband globally, including in remote areas. United is the only major U.S. airline currently offering Starlink. The airline has planed to expand the service across its two-cabin regional fleet and introduce it on mainline flights by year-end.
As per United, though the recent issue is expected to impact thousands of flyers this summer, the disruption is not expected to last long, and roughly a third of the impacted planes have already had a fix applied.
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