Southwest Airlines is getting ready to switch on high-speed Starlink inflight connectivity.<\/p>\n
The first aircraft equipped with the free and ultra-fast Wi-Fi<\/a><\/span>, a Boeing 737-800, will enter service by the end of June, Southwest chief customer and brand officer Tony Roach said at an industry conference this weekend.<\/p>\n It’s a major step forward for the Dallas-based carrier’s on-board internet offerings, and the move comes just months after Southwest made its existing service free to all members of its Rapid Rewards loyalty program.<\/p>\n How quickly will Southwest passengers see the upgraded Wi-Fi?<\/p>\n “We have the capability to get to up to 300 [planes] by the end of the year but, at this point in time, it’s more of the pacing on Starlink \u2014 when we can get the kits \u2014 we’ll be putting them on the aircraft,” Roach said, speaking Saturday at the International Air Transport Association’s general meeting in Brazil.<\/p>\n With its debut, Southwest joins Alaska Airlines<\/a><\/span> and its brand Hawaiian Airlines, boutique air carrier JSX<\/a><\/span> and United Airlines<\/a><\/span> offering Starlink connectivity on its planes in the U.S. Most recently, American Airlines announced plans to add the inflight Wi-Fi<\/a><\/span> service to its Airbus jets beginning in 2027.<\/p>\n Fast inflight connectivity is an increasingly critical amenity for airlines as they compete for customers. The number of “dark” flights \u2014 or those without Wi-Fi \u2014 is rapidly shrinking, as consumers now expect connectivity options while airborne.<\/p>\n “The bar now is customers want very fast Wi-Fi,” Andrew Watterson, the chief operating officer of Southwest, said. “Starlink has set the bar for how fast Wi-Fi should be on an aircraft, so you must meet that bar.”<\/p>\nA growing number of US airlines with Wi-Fi<\/h2>\n
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