British Airways owner, IAG SA is in talks with Elon Musk’s Starlink to equip its jet fleet with Wi-Fi, highlighting the growing influence of SpaceX’s satellite internet service among major global airlines.
IAG, which also owns Spain’s Iberia and Ireland’s Aer Lingus, has not yet made a final decision.
The airline group is considering options with multiple providers, including Amazon’s emerging Project Kuiper, according to Annalisa Gigante, IAG’s head of innovation, in an interview with Bloomberg.
“We are working a lot, both with Starlink and with Amazon’s Kuiper,” Gigante said. “We’ve got some really exciting things coming up, but that’s going to be for next year.”
The discussions signal an upcoming transformation in the aviation services market, driven by satellite constellations orbiting closer to Earth.
Airlines are partnering with Starlink and other providers to replace expensive, limited in-flight Wi-Fi.
Increased satellite bandwidth is enabling web experiences closer to what users expect on the ground.
Starlink, SpaceX’s internet-from-space initiative, serves around 4 million customers via a network of thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit.
These satellites collaborate to deliver broadband internet coverage to the ground below.
One challenge for Starlink, according to Gigante, is the complexity of the certification process.
She mentioned that IAG is assessing various options, including determining when the group could implement a new service.
U.S. airlines can easily implement Starlink since it is already certified by the Federal Aviation Administration.
However, European carriers must undergo a certification process, according to Gigante.
She added that British Airways would require a separate certification from Iberia.
“There has been an announcement frenzy,” Gigante said. “I really want to make sure that when we announce it, we can actually implement it.”
When asked about the discussions with IAG and the certification comments, a SpaceX spokesperson replied via email, saying, “this is not accurate,” without offering further details or clarification.
