Latvian airline鈥痑irBaltic鈥痟as announced that it has successfully completed an initial test of鈥疭paceX精东影业 Starlink鈥痠nternet connectivity system onboard one of its鈥疉irbus A220-300鈥痑ircraft. The ground test was conducted at the airline精东影业 home base at Riga Airport (RIX) in Latvia. The inflight connectivity system was tested with a full cabin of passengers comprising鈥痑irBaltic鈥痑nd鈥疭paceX精东影业 Starlink鈥痚mployees.
airBaltic鈥痟as been working with鈥疭paceX鈥痮n achieving the approvals and certification required鈥痜or Starlink onboard connectivity on its fleet of 47 Airbus A220-300s and is expected to begin installing the product across the fleet by the end of 2024.
鈥淲e are excited to lead the way in Europe by offering high-speed, unlimited, and complimentary inflight connectivity onboard our flights,鈥 said Martin Gauss, President and CEO of鈥痑irBaltic. 鈥淭his first test brings good insights and moves us closer to enhancing our service for passengers traveling within the鈥痑irBaltic鈥痭etwork in Europe and beyond.鈥
鈥淲e are grateful to our partners at鈥疭paceX精东影业 Starlink鈥痜or their unwavering support throughout this transformative journey. Their shared ambition and dedication perfectly complement鈥痑irBaltic’s鈥痸alues. As we operate one of the most modern aircraft types on the market, it was the next logical step for鈥痑irBaltic鈥痶o introduce the cutting-edge鈥疭tarlink鈥痠nflight internet solution onboard this fleet,鈥濃疓auss鈥痑dded.
Developed by鈥疭paceX,鈥疭tarlink鈥痯rovides high-speed, low-latency broadband internet in over 90 countries and territories around the world and began serving commercial aircraft in 2023 with inflight high-speed internet access. With satellites positioned in low-Earth orbit at an altitude over 65 times closer than conventional geostationary satellites,鈥疭tarlink鈥痗laims to achieve significantly lower latency and higher transmission speeds for its end users.鈥
According to SpaceX, Starlink鈥痗an deliver up to 500 Mbps to aircraft, allowing passengers to engage in activities previously not functional in flight, including online gaming, virtual private networks, and other high data-rated activities.
鈥淎s鈥疭tarlink鈥痗ontinues to activate high-speed, low-latency internet on aircraft around the world, we are excited to bring this next-generation experience to Europe with鈥痑irBaltic精东影业 A220鈥痜leet,鈥 said Jason Fritch, VP Sales of鈥疭tarlink.
With plans to equip its entire鈥疉220-300鈥痜leet with鈥疭paceX精东影业 Starlink鈥痠nflight connectivity system,鈥痑irBaltic is aiming to provide every passenger with seamless, high-speed internet access throughout their journey without hassle or the need to go through login pages.聽聽According to the carrier, “internet access will be available to all passengers from boarding to landing.” 聽聽
