United Airlines has equipped its regional route aircraft with Starlink for the first time.
More than 40 aircraft will be equipped each month, and by the end of the year, over 300 two-class regional route aircraft will be fitted with Starlink. Ultimately, the plan is to expand to all aircraft.
Operations will be halted for four days for the removal of existing equipment, installation of Starlink, and testing. In contrast, other companies’ equipment typically requires more than 10 days. Excluding the removal of existing equipment, the installation takes about 8 hours. There are also technical operational advantages such as equipment size and weight, ease of installation and maintenance, and reduced fuel consumption. The communication speed is expected to reach up to 250 Mbps, which is 50 times faster than previous capabilities.
