United Airlines has confirmed that its in-flight Starlink Wi-Fi service is resuming normal operations after a technical glitch caused a temporary shutdown on some aircraft.
The connectivity problem, which first emerged publicly last month, was traced to an issue of static interference. During an earnings call on Thursday, United Airlines’ Chief Operating Officer, Toby Enqvist, stated that the matter had been “pretty much resolved.”
The disruption was specific to the airline’s smaller Embraer E175 passenger jets. According to Enqvist, the root cause was a simple matter of proximity. The antenna for the Starlink dish had been installed too close to a separate antenna that pilots use for crucial radio communications with air traffic control.
“The two antennas were too close together. So they worked around that,” Enqvist explained, suggesting that the engineering fix involved repositioning the satellite equipment on the aircraft.
This specific in-flight Wi-Fi interference problem is not anticipated to affect the rest of United Airlines’ fleet. The larger size of other jets provides ample space to ensure the Starlink dishes are installed a safe distance from other sensitive communication antennas, preventing similar interference issues from occurring.
The rollout of SpaceX’s satellite internet service continues across the carrier’s aircraft. Enqvist confirmed that Starlink access is now installed on sixty of its jets. Early experiences with the service have been highly positive. During a trial in May, the satellite internet delivered impressive performance, with average download speeds reaching nearly 100Mbps.
For now, United Airlines is offering this enhanced in-flight Wi-Fi for free to all members of its MileagePlus frequent flyer programme. Access does require customers to view a number of advertisements.
While United Airlines has publicised its agreement to bring Starlink in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity to its entire fleet, the company has not yet provided a definitive timeline for the completion of this ambitious fleet-wide upgrade. Passengers will need to check the availability on their specific flights as the rollout progresses.
(Photo by David Syphers)
See also: SpaceX teases Starlink Gen3 satellites for Terabit internet speeds
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