Southwest Airlines is adding Starlink to its fleet, with the first equipped aircraft expected to enter service this summer.
The airline announced the agreement on February 11 and plans to have the system on more than 300 aircraft by the end of 2026.
Southwest already offers free Wi-Fi to Rapid Rewards members through its arrangement with T-Mobile. The new announcement concerns the satellite system carrying that connection, rather than the invention of free onboard Wi-Fi.
The carrier says Starlink will support activities such as streaming, gaming, messaging, and working across multiple devices. Those are its service expectations, rather than independent measurements from a Southwest flight.
The deal follows Lufthansa Group's decision to install Starlink on around 850 aircraft across its airlines.
For SpaceX, that means another large aviation customer. For passengers, it means another rollout to keep track of before assuming a particular flight has the newer connection.
Our Starlink Aviation overview explains why this needs dedicated aircraft equipment. Bringing a personal Roam dish onto a flight isn't an alternative to the airline's approved installation.
Southwest's target also gives us a useful number to revisit: more than 300 connected aircraft by December. An agreement is difficult to judge from promotional language, but completed installations can be counted.
There will be a transition period before the carrier upgrades all of its aircraft. A Southwest ticket alone therefore won't establish which satellite connection a passenger gets.
The first customer flights will give travelers a better basis for comparing the service with the Wi-Fi they're using today.
