American Airlines Jumps Into Race To Offer Starlink Inflight Wi-Fi

BusinessAerospace & DefenseAmerican Airlines Jumps Into Race To Offer Starlink Inflight Wi-FiByTed Reed,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Charlotte-based reporter Ted Reed covers airlines and airline labor.Follow AuthorMay 26, 2026, 11:03am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.An American Airlines Airbus A321 departs LAX in January 2025. The A321s will all get Starlink internet. (Photo by Kevin Carter)Getty ImagesJoining in the airline industry race to use Starlink as an inflight WiFi provider, American Airlines says it will install the technology on more than 500 narrowbody aircraft, starting in the first quarter of 2027.The carrier said this morning that it plans to update its Wi-Fi offering on its fleet of more than 500 Airbus aircraft, including new A321XLR and A321neo deliveries.American joins Alaska, Southwest and United, as well as two dozen airlines around the world, in promising to use the technology, which is operated by Space X, an aerospace manufacturer founded by Elon Musk. The primary future alternative is Amazon WiFi, which will not be available until 2028. Delta said in March that it had chosen Amazon, as has JetBlue.Internet access has become increasingly important to airline passengers. In an independent customer satisfaction survey released last month, the ongoing availability of inflight internet access was a key factor in increasing airline customer satisfaction, which was up 3% since last year. That survey was conducted by ACSI, an Ann Arbor, Mich.-based provider of customer analytics products.“Starlink is widely regarded as the world's most advanced satellite constellation,” American said. The carrier linked the selection to its quest to become as highly regarded as competitors Delta and United. Heather Garboden, American’s chief customer officer, was quoted as saying “As a premium global airline,...