Starlink is conquering airlines with high-speed internet at high altitude

Competition among global airlines to attract premium-class customers is intensifying. High-speed in-flight Wi-Fi has evolved from a simple convenience into a primary battleground between Elon Musk's Starlink project and Jeff Bezos' Amazon Leo satellite network. Starlink currently controls nearly two-thirds of all satellites in space, becoming a key revenue source for SpaceX. This is reported by Ixbt.com reports.

According to the analytical firm Valour Consultancy, Starlink added 11 new airlines to its customer base worldwide in 2026. For comparison, the company signed contracts with only 3 carriers in 2022, 8 in 2024, and 22 in 2025. Amazon, which continues to build its satellite constellation, faced difficulties last month due to an accident involving a Blue Origin rocket, but has reached initial agreements with Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways.

Installing Starlink or Amazon systems requires major investments of hundreds of millions of dollars for airlines. Amadeus president Decius Valmorbida called this technology "revolutionary." He believes that in the coming years, every airline will rush to implement its own version, as this service is becoming a mandatory requirement rather than a choice.

According to Ookla analytics, Starlink operates several times faster than traditional geostationary systems because it utilizes over 10,000 low-orbit satellites. Southwest Airlines announced it chose the Starlink system to maintain its market leadership. Additionally, American Airlines announced it will equip over 500 of its aircraft with Starlink hardware starting in early 2027.