United Airlines said Friday that it installed Elon Musk’s Starlink Wi-Fi on its first regional aircraft, kicking off a process to outfit the satellite technology throughout its fleet.
The carrier aims to finish installing Starlink throughout its entire two-cabin regional fleet by the end of the year. United said it expects to equip over 40 regional aircraft a month from May until the end of the year.
United is the largest airline in the U.S. to sign a contract with Starlink. The service will be free — the carrier currently charges $8 for in-flight Wi-Fi to MileagePlus members and $10 to nonmembers.
Passengers will be able to access live TV and streaming, shop online, browse social media and use multiple devices at the same time.
In the U.S., Hawaiian Airlines, which was acquired by Alaska Airlines last year, and JSX also use Starlink on their respective fleets.