SAS taps Starlink to power free inflight Wi-Fi on entire fleet

SAS has tapped SpaceX to bring Ku-band Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite-supported inflight connectivity to its entire fleet, in a move that will ultimately displace the carrier’s current providers including Panasonic Avionics and Viasat.

The Stockholm-headquartered airline says it plans to begin a “phased rollout” at the end of 2025 and will offer the service for free to EuroBonus loyalty members. It joins a string of other carriers in pursuing a free Wi-Fi model that is tied to loyalty membership.

According to SpaceX’s Starlink Aviation web site, as of 6 January 2025 supplemental type certificates have been secured for two aircraft types in SAS’s fleet: the Airbus A330 and the A321neo. STCs for other aircraft operated by SAS, the Airbus A320 family and A350, are expected to be secured in the second quarter of this year.

“By introducing this new technology, we’re connecting our passengers to the world like never before,” says SAS chief commercial officer Paul Verhagen.

“We’re putting an end to frustrating interruptions and ushering in a new era of connectivity. Whether flying over the Atlantic or the North Sea, our passengers can now count on a connection that is as stable and seamless as it is fast. This is about giving our customers the best and ensuring SAS remains synonymous with excellence.”

SAS highlights Starlink’s global LEO coverage as a key attribute, saying, “Starlink delivers Internet all around the world and leverages advanced satellites to provide connectivity across oceans and remote locations, including challenging regions like the North Pole, over the Atlantic Ocean, and North Sea — areas previously affected by disruptions from conventional satellite services.”

SAS expects to begin offering the high-speed Wi-Fi to passengers on some aircraft at the end of the year.

For its part, SpaceX believes it can help SAS “level-up the in-flight experiences for passengers and crew from gate to gate”.

Company VP of Starlink Enterprise Sales Jason Fritch says: “We’re especially proud that Starlink can offer connectivity for passengers that’s as good if not better than at their homes while flying across the Atlantic, North Sea and North Pole, which historically had been challenging for in-flight internet.”

SpaceX has become a disruptor in the inflight connectivity space; it also counts airBaltic, Air France, Hawaiian Airlines, Qatar Airways, United Airlines, WestJet, ZIPAIR and hop-on jet operator JSX among its growing list of customers, in addition to business aviation clients. And its partners are banging out STCs at a dizzying rate. Starlink is even being brought to turboprop aircraft, with Air New Zealand set to trial the service soon on an ATR 72-600.

Installs on larger aircraft feature not one but two Starlink phased array antennas in a bandwidth play on the part of SpaceX. The firm does not shirk at the notion of installing three antennas for very large jets.

Related Articles:

• Starlink takes flight on ATR 72-600 turboprop as ANZ preps for trial
• Air Canada promises free, fast Wi-Fi starting in 2025
• Southwest Airlines puts building blocks in place for free Wi-Fi
• Viasat grows in-service tails despite United’s Starlink pivot
• Air France to offer SpaceX Starlink inflight Wi-Fi across fleet
• SAS premium economy offers solid transatlantic option on A330
• As SAS sports high-speed wifi in the sky, management praises Viasat
• Finnair, SAS talk ViaSat connectivity pick as competition hots up

Featured image credited to Jason Rabinowitz

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