American Airlines Taps SpaceX’s Starlink for Faster In-Flight Internet

American Airlines passengers will soon get a major upgrade to their in-flight Wi-Fi. The carrier announced Tuesday it has reached an agreement with SpaceX to install Starlink satellite internet across its fleet of more than 500 Airbus narrowbody planes, with installation expected to begin in 2027.

Starlink has quickly become a go-to for airlines looking to handle the heavy data demands of modern travelers. Passengers now expect to stream movies, work on cloud-based documents, and video call from 35,000 feet—activities that require fast, reliable connections. Starlink’s network of over 10,000 low-Earth-orbit satellites delivers speeds reported to be nearly double those of its closest competitor, with lower latency than traditional satellite systems.

CNET’s Jeff Carlson, who tested Starlink on a United Airlines flight, described the experience as surprisingly seamless. “Honestly, I’d think I was at home on my high-speed fiber internet if not for the cabin noise and the occasional tight banking turn,” he wrote.

American joins a growing list of major carriers partnering with SpaceX. United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Alaska Airlines have already signed on. Once American’s planes are equipped, Starlink will be operating on more than 2,300 commercial aircraft.

Notably absent from the list is Delta Air Lines, which has chosen to partner with Amazon’s satellite internet service instead. Delta CEO Ed Bastian told Bloomberg that Amazon’s offering is cheaper than Starlink and comes with a built-in library of streaming content.

The deal comes just days after SpaceX filed for an initial public offering. Following a recent merger with Musk’s xAI, analysts now value the company at nearly $2 trillion. An IPO could raise up to $75 billion, potentially making Musk the world’s first trillionaire.

Representatives for American Airlines and SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment.