The Lufthansa group of airlines will start installing Starlink in–flight broadband kit this year across its complete fleet.The group, which also includes Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and Swiss, said the new Starlink service would start being installed on the first of its 850 aircraft later this year.

Lufthansa says that the in–flight WiFi service would be available free of charge to passengers in all of its cabins.

Dieter Vranckx, chief commercial officer of the Lufthansa Group, said: “In our anniversary year, in which we are celebrating Lufthansa’s 100th birthday, we have decided to introduce a new high–speed internet solution from Starlink for all our airlines.

“The Lufthansa Group is taking the next step and setting an essential milestone for the premium travel experience of our customers. Connectivity onboard plays an important role today, and with Starlink, we are not only investing in the best product on the market, but also in the satisfaction of our passengers.”

The airline said that Starlink would be introduced gradually from the second half of this year, with the roll–out across all existing and new aircraft being completed by 2029. Lufthansa added that “no other airline will equip more aircraft with Starlink technology”.

Other major airline groups to announce plans to introduce Starlink internet onboard their aircraft include IAG, AirFrance, Emirates and SAS.

Lufthansa Group currently uses Panasonic Avonics and Viasat for in–flight connectivity. Some Lufthansa Group aircraft are equipped with the European Aviation Network (EAN) in–flight connectivity (IFC) solution from Viasat for short–haul aircraft that combines S–band satellite coverage with a ground component network operated by Deutsche Telekom.

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Categories: Articles, Broadband, Satellite

Tags: Emirates, IFC, Panasonic, starlink