HAWTHORNE, Calif. — SpaceX's Starlink keeps adding airlines to its flight manifest. Israel's El Al has become the latest carrier to sign on for satellite-based inflight Wi-Fi, agreeing to equip its aircraft with the SpaceX service and offer passengers free, high-speed internet beginning in 2027.
El Al said the Starlink system will be free for travelers and able to support hundreds of users connecting at once — a sharp upgrade over the slow, congested cabin Wi-Fi many fliers have come to expect. The deal lands just weeks after Wizz Air announced its own fleet-wide Starlink rollout, underscoring how fast SpaceX is converting airlines to its low-Earth-orbit network.
Why Airlines Keep Choosing Starlink
Starlink's pitch to carriers is straightforward: a satellite constellation in low orbit delivers far lower latency and higher throughput than legacy geostationary systems. That translates into streaming, video calls and real-time browsing at cruising altitude, the kind of experience that turns Wi-Fi from a frustration into a selling point.
SpaceX has also structured the offering to favor passengers. The provider's terms prohibit airlines from directly charging travelers to use the service, which is why both El Al and Wizz Air plan to make it free. For airlines, free fast Wi-Fi becomes a competitive differentiator; for SpaceX, every new carrier deepens Starlink's reach into a lucrative mobility market.
The momentum builds on SpaceX's broader Starlink expansion, including its push to secure spectrum and approvals for Starlink's future in Europe. Aviation is now one of the network's fastest-growing verticals.
