United has officially confirmed the decision of installing Starlink on its first regional aircraft, while simultaneously issuing details regarding the process to showcase technical operations benefits associated with the equipment, including size and weight, as well as the ease of install and maintenance.
According to certain reports, the airline now plans on installing 40+ regional aircraft each month beginning in May through the end of 2025. For better understanding, the average Starlink install time settles around 8 hours, excluding any de-installation of existing equipment, testing or aircraft modification. This timeframe comes up to around 10 times faster than what is demanded during the installation of non-Starlink equipment.
More on that would reveal how having Starlink in the mix will make it possible for United to deliver the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky, for free, along with new onboard entertainment options.
Talk about the whole value proposition on a slightly deeper level, we begin from the pledge to simplify installation. Basically, once an aircraft is taken out of service for the installation, the existing Wi-Fi setup is removed. Then, the Starlink equipment is installed, including an internal reinforcement structure, external antenna, main cabin wireless access points, and power supply.
The final step would have the team running system checks before and after closing the interior.
Next up, we have a streamlined brand of equipment coming into play. We get to say so because the entire Starlink installation kit weighs 85 pounds, which would be a lot lighter compared to other inflight provider kits that can weigh up to 300 pounds. Not just that, the setup in question is also electronically steered with no moving parts, making it easier to transport and install and requiring less maintenance.
Then, there is the potential for accelerated installation, and at the same time, significantly reduced downtime. You see, United will take each plane out of service for no more than 4 days to de-install existing equipment, install Starlink, run tests, and close-up the aircraft parts.
To contextualize that, the same timeframe would go upto an average of 10+ days for other inflight providers.
In case that wasn’t enough, the technical setup in play here also preaches a substantial degree of fuel efficiency, considering Starlink’s 85 pound footprint enables the aircraft to require less fuel to operate than what has been, thus far, achieved by other inflight providers.
Among other things, we must touch upon Starlink’s weather-proofed inter-satellite laser link technology which allows satellites to communicate to each other and the ground regardless of environmental conditions.
Rounding up highlights is the technology’s overarching reliability. Starlink-equipped aircraft can constantly switch between Starlink’s world’s largest, low-earth orbit constellation of satellites to ensure the best coverage and most reliable Wi-Fi onboard.
To go along that, customers onboard Starlink-equipped regional aircraft can come expecting Wi-Fi speeds up to 250 megabits per second (Mbps), which is 50 times faster than current regional aircraft speeds. Starlink access will also be free for all MileagePlus® customers and include game-changing in-flight entertainment experiences like streaming services, shopping, gaming, and more.
“Our ability to roll-out this innovative service with unprecedented speed and scale is a direct result of the advanced equipment, technology and team of experts at United,” said Grant Milstead, VP of Digital Technology at United. “Starlink has been a terrific partner – our combined spirit of innovation and collaboration will enable us to hit our goal of more than 300 regional aircraft installations before the end of this year.”
