airBaltic Completes Starlink Test Flight, Takes a Major Step Towards the Future of Air Travel
The Latvian airline airBaltic has conducted its certification test flight of SpaceX's Starlink high-speed internet aboard its Airbus A220-300. The flight, departing from the airline’s home base in Riga, Latvia, tested both the Starlink aero terminal and internet connection quality as airBaltic progresses towards obtaining the necessary certification from European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic: “This is a game-changer in the future of air travel, and the test flight brings us one step closer to revolutionizing the travel experience for our passengers. We are thrilled to lead the way in Europe and be the first airline in this region to offer for free Starlink’s reliable, high-speed internet. By integrating Starlink, we are set to elevate the travel experience for passengers across the airBaltic network throughout Europe and beyond.”
“We are grateful to work with the Starlink team during this transformative journey. Engineered by SpaceX, Starlink is the world’s first and largest satellite constellation using low-Earth orbit that will provide airBaltic passengers the fastest in-flight internet. With one of the youngest and the most modern fleets in the European skies, introducing Starlink onboard our Airbus A220-300s is the next logical step for airBaltic,” Gauss added.
airBaltic is working with Starlink to secure the necessary Supplemental Type Certification (STC), which is further to be approved by EASA. The airline expects to begin installing Starlink on its single-type fleet of Airbus A220-300s in Q1 2025.
With plans to equip its entire A220-300 fleet with Starlink, airBaltic aims to provide every passenger with seamless, high-speed internet access from boarding to landing, without the need for logins or complicated setups.
Starlink is being used by so many people, businesses and organizations in more than 118 countries, territories, and other markets around the world, spanning all 7 continents and oceans. The number of people using Starlink has grown to more than 4.6+ million and counting. Serving commercial aircraft since last year, Starlink provides ultra-fast speeds and low latency by utilizing satellites in low-Earth orbit, positioned over 65 times closer than traditional geostationary satellites.
This innovative approach allows Starlink to deliver up to 500 Mbps with a low latency connection, enabling an at home experience where passengers can engage in activities previously unavailable during flights, such as online gaming, using virtual private networks (VPNs), and other high-bandwidth tasks.
