Airline expects to outfit 40+ regional
aircraft each month through the end of 2025 – average Starlink
install time is about 8 hours, 10 times faster than non-Starlink
equipment
United shows technical operations benefits
like equipment size and weight as well as ease of install and
maintenance
NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 7,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- United today announced it
installed Starlink on its first regional aircraft and unveiled
details of the process to underscore the technical operations
benefits associated with the equipment, including size and weight
as well as the ease of install and maintenance.
The airline expects to outfit 40+ regional aircraft each month
beginning in May through the end of 2025 – average Starlink install
time is about 8 hours, excluding any de-installation of existing
equipment, testing or aircraft modification, approximately 10 times
faster than installing non-Starlink equipment.
Earlier this year, the airline said it plans to outfit its
entire two-cabin regional fleet by the end of the year.
Ultimately, United will add Starlink to its entire fleet.
"Our ability to roll-out this innovative service with
unprecedented speed and scale is a direct result of the advanced
equipment, technology and team of experts at United," said United's
VP of Digital Technology, Grant
Milstead. "Starlink has been a terrific partner – our
combined spirit of innovation and collaboration will enable us to
hit our goal of more than 300 regional aircraft installations
before the end of this year."
Starlink stands to not only unlock an incredible onboard
experience for United customers – the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky, for
free, and new onboard entertainment options – but also enables a
more streamlined install, maintenance and overall operation:
- Faster install, means less down time: United is taking
each plane out of service for just 4 days to de-install existing
equipment, install Starlink, run tests and close-up the aircraft
parts opened during the install, versus an average 10+ days for
other inflight providers.
- Streamlined equipment: The entire Starlink installation
kit weighs 85 pounds, compared to other inflight provider kits that
can weigh up to 300 pounds, and is electronically steered with no
moving parts, making it easier to transport and install and
requiring less maintenance.
- Simple install: Streamlined equipment means a simpler
install. Once an aircraft is taken out of service for the install,
the existing Wi-Fi is uninstalled. Then the Starlink equipment is
installed, including an internal reinforcement structure, external
antenna and main cabin wireless access points and power supply.
Finally, the team runs system checks before and after closing the
interior.
- More fuel-efficient: Starlink's 85 pound footprint on
the aircraft means the aircraft requires less fuel to operate than
with other inflight providers.
- Weather-proofed: Weather on the ground doesn't hinder
connectivity thanks to a weather-proofed inter-satellite laser link
technology that allows satellites to communicate to each other and
the ground reliably.
- More reliable: Starlink-equipped aircraft will
constantly switch between Starlink's world's largest, low-earth
orbit constellation of satellites to ensure the best coverage and
most reliable Wi-Fi onboard.
United also confirms that customers onboard Starlink-equipped
regional aircraft can expect Wi-Fi speeds up to 250 megabits per
second (Mbps), which is 50 times faster than current regional
aircraft speeds.
Starlink access will be free for all MileagePlus® customers and
include game-changing inflight entertainment experiences like
streaming services, shopping, gaming and more. Membership to
MileagePlus is also free and people can sign-up now at
united.com/starlink.
See here for visual assets and visit united.com/starlink
for additional information.
About United
At United, Good Leads The Way. With U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los
Angeles, New
York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., United operates the most
comprehensive global route network among North American carriers
and is now the largest airline in the world as measured by
available seat miles. For more about how to join the United team,
please visit www.united.com/careers and more information about
the company is at www.united.com. United Airlines Holdings, Inc.,
the parent company of United Airlines, Inc., is traded on the
Nasdaq under the symbol "UAL".
About Starlink
Starlink delivers high-speed, low-latency internet to users all
over the world. As the world's first and largest satellite
constellation using a low Earth orbit, Starlink delivers broadband
internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video
calls and more. Starlink is engineered and operated by
SpaceX. As the world's leading provider of launch services, SpaceX
is leveraging its deep experience with both spacecraft and on-orbit
operations to deploy the world's most advanced broadband internet
system.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. All statements that are not statements of historical facts
are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Such
forward-looking statements are based on historical performance and
current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about
our future financial results, goals, plans, commitments, strategies
and objectives and involve inherent risks, assumptions and
uncertainties, known or unknown, including internal or external
factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, that are
difficult to predict, may be beyond our control and could cause our
future financial results, goals, plans and objectives to differ
materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the statements.
No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking
statements in this press release should be evaluated together with
the many risks and uncertainties that affect United's business and
market, particularly those identified in the "Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations" and "Risk Factors" sections in United's Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2024, as updated by our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form
10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements
included in this document are made only as of the date of this
document and except as otherwise required by applicable law or
regulation, United undertakes no obligation to publicly update or
revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new
information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.
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SOURCE United Airlines
