Tested: On board Europe’s First Starlink-equipped Flight

DALLAS—Yesterday, airBaltic (BT), Latvia's national carrier, successfully unveiled its latest connectivity system, Starlink.

airBaltic is the first European airline to introduce Starlink high-speed internet for free on board. The new system was certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and will be available on all BT’s A220-300s before the end of the year.

To mark the milestone, journalists from around the world received a special press release at 28,000 feet. As a guest on board, I was lucky enough to be one of those AV journos who got the release through Starlink.

The Xperience

At a special event held in Riga (RIX), Latvia, the airline invited journalists and influencers to join the executives and test the new connectivity product on a special flight from/to RIX.

I arrived in Riga on the same day, flying from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS). The ceremony started at Riga Airport (RIX) with a regular check-in, where I received the branded airBaltic | Starlink boarding pass. I was assigned to seat 14F in the emergency row of the Airbus A220-300.

After clearing security, I headed to gate C5, where celebrations had started.Here, the airline set up a DJ party, canapes, drinks, and entertainment for its guests, including national TV, international journalists, and influencers.

Martin Gauss, President and CEO of BT, introduced the new Starlink service in his introductory speech, after which the crew came on stage.

The airline created a social media contest for content creators for the occasion, inviting everyone to participate. At 7:00 p.m., the doors to gate C5 opened, and I scanned my boarding pass to board YL-CSL, the first Starlink-equipped aircraft in Europe.

To my surprise, the boarding process traversed through a jet bridge decorated with lights and sound effects, which continued inside the aircraft.

YL-CSL is one of BT’s aircraft that flies the special country livery featuring the Latvian flag. The aircraft now features a special Starlink sticker on door 1L to commemorate the installation. Along with around 90 guests, I proceeded to my seat, where I could enjoy some extra legroom.

Here, I found a gift—a portable battery charger, dried raspberries, a Starlink sticker, and a remove-before-flight keychain.

Take-off, Connected Cruise

After de-icing, flight BT2025 took off at 7:52 pm from runway 18, bound for a tour of Latvia at FL280. Immediately after sitting, it was already possible to connect to Starlink. The connection experience was as simple as any connection can be.

There is no need for an external login portal: passengers can select their WiFi name and immediately browse the internet.

Canapes and champagne were served to commemorate the milestone. Influencers started creating content at the back of the cabin, and Latvian TV broadcast live from the aircraft. The BT social media team was also active, engaging with people on board the flight and sharing the press release.

During cruise, I tested various functionalities on my phone, including downloading apps, streaming, browsing, and loading 4K videos on the Airways YouTube channel. The connectivity allowed me to reach download speeds of up to  120 mb/s despite the whole aircraft heavily testing the service.

I uploaded the Airways Live coverage with hundreds of thousands of people following and engaged with some of them to answer their questions as if I had never left the airport.

Martin Gauss walked multiple times to the cabin of the A220-300, asking all guests what the first thing they did on board with the new Starlink connection was, to which I replied, “Video calling my girlfriend was.” He was as excited as any of us, and you could feel the pride in his words.

airBaltic Starlink Rollout

Announced in January 2023, Starlink will be available on all BT’s A220-300s before the end of the year, free of charge to all passengers. Thanks to its ultra-fast connection, there will be no need for an extra in-flight entertainment portal, which many airlines now offer as a replacement for authentic WiFi. Instead, passengers can stream and access social media without extra layers or complications.

In the official release, Martin Gauss commented:  “This is a historic milestone for BT and a game-changer for European air travel. By becoming the first European airline to integrate SpaceX’s Starlink, we are redefining connectivity in the skies. This is not just an improvement; it is a revolution in air travel, and we are proud to be at the forefront, delivering the future of connectivity to our passengers today."

We landed at 9:28 pm, concluding Europe’s first Starlink flight with a well-deserved round of applause to BT. Over the years, the airline has consolidated a strong and well-recognized brand image in the region, and becoming the launch customer of Starlink is a historic milestone in civil aviation.

Starlink Power

According to BT: “Starlink can deliver up to 350 Mbps to aircraft, and with latency as low as 20 ms, passengers can engage in activities previously not functional in flight, including online gaming, virtual private networks, and other high data rate activities.”

With the successful test, BT became the first airline in Europe to introduce the new Starlink technology. In Europe, Air France and SAS announced the rollout of Starlink in 2025, which will be free for all customers.

airBaltic’s 50^th A220

On November 28, 2016, BT took delivery YL-CSA, the first-ever Bombardier CS300. The airline launched commercial flights a few weeks after, flying the larger CSeries variant from Riga Airport (RIX) to Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)

On February 13, the airline welcomed its 50^th Airbus A220-300 in Riga. Registered as YL-ABX, the aircraft sports BT’s special livery. The livery is inspired by the Latvian flag and complemented by details that are reminders of all three Baltic States.

The eye-catching artwork depicts a young woman soaring through the clouds, her long, flowing hair adorned with a traditional wreath as she proudly carries the Latvian flag.

The design also incorporates several symbolic elements reflecting the Baltic region's rich heritage and natural beauty, including a ladybug, a swallow, and a stork. The A220-300 boasts a 2-3 seating arrangement, with only one middle seat and a range of 3,600 nautical miles or 6,700 km.

Depending on the configuration, the type is equipped with 145 or 148 seats with an individual seat pitch of 32”. As traditional, the first few rows are dedicated to the business class cabin, with a blocked middle seat.

About airBaltic

Since its foundation in 1995 as a joint venture between the Latvian state and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), BT has grown into one of the largest carriers in Europe. The airline is the largest operator of the Airbus A220-300, with 50 units, and has plans to expand its fleet up to 100 units.

Recently, Lufthansa acquired a minority stake in BT. In return for its investment, Lufthansa will receive a convertible share granting a 10% stake. The share will be issued at a subscription price of EUR 14 million and converted into ordinary shares upon BT's potential initial public offering (IPO).

After the IPO, the size of Lufthansa Group's stake will be determined by market pricing, with Lufthansa Group’s holding amounting to at least 5% of BT.

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