Briefs

American Partnering with Viasat and Intelsat on In-flight Wi-Fi

United has a deal with Starlink, and Delta is partnered with Viasat and Hughes

Jake Neenan

Apr 16, 2025 — 1 min read

Photo of an American Airlines jet by Gene J. Puskar/AP

WASHINGTON, April 16, 2025 – American Airlines will offer free in-flight Wi-Fi on most trips beginning next year, the company said Tuesday.

The company said about 90 percent of its 985 aircraft would be outfitted for the service, which will be provided by geostationary satellite companies Viasat and Intelsat. Flyers will have to enroll in America’s free loyalty program AAdvantage to access the service without charge.

American said a test run with the satellite providers “surpassed performance expectations.” The service is being sponsored by AT&T.

United Airlines' first commercial flight with Starlink-equipped aircraft is scheduled to take off in May with a planned installation schedule of 40 planes per month. A United spokesperson said the deal was not exclusive.

Delta has been offering the service with Viasat and Hughes since 2023, and now claims more than 880 planes in its main fleet have in-flight connectivity.

Post tagged in

Briefs American Airlines Delta Airlines United airlines ViaSat Intelsat Elon Musk Starlink

Member discussion

Is the FCC an Independent Agency? Legal Experts Say Yes

Experts dispute FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's denial of agency independence

Feds Allow Big Tech to Plug Data Centers Right Into Power Plants

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Thursday order could be a blueprint for Trump administration requests to ensure that data centers get power as quickly as possible.