Featured image: Mateo Skinner/Airways

SAS Introduces Free Fleet-wide Starlink Wi-Fi

DALLAS — SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SK) has partnered with SpaceX to install free, high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi on the carrier's entire fleet. 

As an added service for EuroBonus loyalty program members, this innovative service puts SK at the forefront of the in-flight connectivity revolution.

High-Speed Connectivity, Gate to Gate

Starlink's next-generation Low-Earth orbit satellite system provides high-speed, low-latency internet access, ensuring continuous connectivity across all stages of flight-from boarding to disembarkation. Internet service will be seamless for passengers over the most challenging regions, such as the North Pole, Atlantic Ocean, and North Sea.

Commenting on the move, the airline's Chief Commercial Officer Paul Verhagen, said, "We now connect our passengers closer to the rest of the world and end frustrations from interruptions. Whether at the Atlantic or North Sea, now our passengers can fly over and rest assured of stabilized, seamless, and fast connections with no interruptions again.”

The service supports multiple devices simultaneously, from streaming and working out to playing games or quickly browsing web pages.

Sustainability Meets Innovation

Starlink's aero terminal design is sleek and lightweight, helping reduce aerodynamic drag and improving fuel efficiency as the airline reaches its sustainability objectives. This pairing reinforces the airline's effort to encourage more environmentally responsible air travel.

Jason Fritch, Vice President of Starlink Enterprise Sales at SpaceX, said, "We are excited to deliver reliable, high-speed internet across the entire SAS fleet. Passengers will enjoy connectivity that's as good as or better than at home, even in historically challenging regions."

Rollout Timeline

SAS will launch a phased deployment of the Starlink system over its narrow and wide-body fleets later in 2025. Although faster than traditional systems, the installation will take many years to deploy the entire fleet and will likely be completed by 2027.

Starlink Wi-Fi constitutes a significant leap in SK's fleet modernization strategy. Free, high-speed internet onboard for EuroBonus members means that SAS can redefine the value proposition of passenger convenience and set a new industry benchmark.

As of January 27, 2025, at least 10 airlines have announced plans to install or have already begun installing SpaceX's Starlink Wi-Fi service on their aircraft. These airlines include:

  1. United Airlines (UA): Testing begins in February 2025, with full rollout planned for its regional and mainline fleets by the end of the year.
  2. Air France (AF): Plans to offer free Starlink Wi-Fi across its fleet starting in 2025.
  3. Hawaiian Airlines (HA): Already offering Starlink Wi-Fi on its fleet as of 2024.
  4. Qatar Airways (QR): Rolling out Starlink on its Boeing 777 fleet, with completion expected by the end of 2025.
  5. airBaltic (BT): Announced plans for Starlink installation.
  6. WestJet (WS): Included in the list of carriers adopting Starlink.
  7. Air New Zealand (NZ): Also among the airlines planning to implement Starlink.
  8. JSX (XE): A smaller carrier already using Starlink Wi-Fi.
  9. Scandinavian Airlines (SK): As stated above, the free Wi-Fi service starts in late 2025.
  10. Zipair Tokyo (ZG): Another carrier utilizing Starlink Wi-Fi technology.

This growing adoption highlights the increasing demand for high-speed, low-latency internet connectivity during flights, enabled by Starlink's constellation of low Earth orbit satellites.

Use NordVPN for fast and secure streaming at home or traveling—no bandwidth or data limits for VPN traffic. Connect up to 10 devices with one account to protect you and your loved ones during your journey. Get 72% off NordVPN's 2-year plan today!

Exploring Airline History Volume I

David H. Stringer, the History Editor for AIRWAYS Magazine, has chronicled the story of the commercial aviation industry with his airline history articles that have appeared in AIRWAYS over two decades. Here, for the first time, is a compilation of those articles.

Subjects A through C are presented in this first of three volumes. Covering topics such as the airlines of Alaska at the time of statehood and Canada's regional airlines of the 1960s, the individual histories of such carriers as Allegheny, American, Braniff, and Continental are also included in Volume One. Get your copy today!