airBaltic carried out the first test of the Starlink internet connectivity system. The trial took place aboard an Airbus A220-300, which remained on the ground at its facilities in Riga.
The aircraft was boarded by employees from airBaltic and Starlink, who evaluated the satellite connectivity of Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, for the first time.
airBaltic CEO Martin Gauss stated: “We are delighted to lead the way in Europe, offering high-speed, unlimited, and free onboard connectivity on our flights. This first trial provides us with valuable insights and brings us closer to enhancing our service for passengers traveling within and beyond airBaltic‘s network in Europe.”
“We appreciate our partners at Starlink from SpaceX for their unwavering support throughout this transformative journey. Their shared ambition and dedication perfectly complement airBaltic‘s values,” added Gauss.
airBaltic is collaborating with SpaceX to obtain the required STC (Supplementary Type Certificate) approval and is expected to begin installing the product on the Airbus A220-300 fleet of airBaltic by the end of this year.
Jason Fritch, Starlink’s Vice President of Business Sales, noted that “As Starlink continues to enable high-speed, low-latency internet on aircraft worldwide, we are thrilled to bring this next-generation experience to Europe with airBaltic‘s A220 fleet.”
airBaltic aims to provide each passenger with high-speed internet access throughout their journey, without inconvenience or login pages. From boarding to landing, all passengers will have internet access.
