Hawaiian Airlines Partners Starlink for High-Speed Inflight Internet Access

(28 April 2022, 11:56 +07)  Hawaiian Airlines has signed an agreement with Starlink to provide complimentary high-speed, low-latency broadband internet access to every passenger and crew member onboard flights between the islands and continental U.S.A., Asia and Oceania.

Hawaii’s largest carrier will equip its Airbus A330 and A321neo aircraft, as well as an incoming fleet of Boeing 787-9s, with Starlink’s satellite internet connectivity service.

“When we launch with Starlink we will have the best connectivity experience available in the air,” said Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO, Peter Ingram. “We waited until technology caught up with our high standards for guest experience, but it will be worth the wait. Our guests can look forward to fast, seamless and free Wi-Fi to complement our award-winning onboard Hawaiian hospitality.”

Hawaiian Airlines A321

Hawaiian and Starlink are in the initial stages of implementation and expect to begin installing the product on select aircraft next year.

Once implemented, passengers will be able to stream content, play games live with friends on the ground, work and collaborate in real-time, or share their special island moments on social media, just as they would on the ground.

Connecting to the inflight internet will be seamless, without registration pages or payment portals.

The airline is not currently planning to deploy the service on its Boeing 717 aircraft that operate short flights between the Hawaiian Islands.

“Hawaiian Airlines is ensuring its passengers will experience high-speed internet the way we expect it in the 21st century, making hassles like downloading movies before takeoff a relic of the past,” said Jonathan Hofeller, SpaceX Vice President of Starlink Commercial Sales. “With Starlink, the inflight experience is greatly simplified so that once passengers step onboard the plane the internet works seamlessly throughout their flight. Soon, passengers will enjoy all the benefits of having the world’s best inflight internet connectivity from the comfort of their seats.”