In early 2027, Starlink will bring high-speed internet service to 500 American Airlines aircraft, the airline announced on Tuesday. The low-earth, non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) service and subsidiary of SpaceX is steadily making inroads in the aviation market ahead of more established geostationary-based satellite services.
“As a premium global airline, we are continuously seeking out world-class partners like Starlink to deliver what our customers need and want. The addition of Starlink solidifies American as a leading airline in keeping passengers connected in flight,” said American’s Chief Customer Officer Heather Garboden in a press release.
American says it is installing Starlink service on newer jet models in its fleet, including the A321XLR and A321neo.
Research firm Fortune Business Insights recently released a report estimating that the worldwide in-flight entertainment and internet connectivity market reached $9.6 billion, with North American companies leading the world with about a third of the market share.
“The integration of high-speed satellite internet services is transforming the in-flight entertainment and connectivity market. As airlines strive to meet the growing expectations of passengers for seamless connectivity and engaging entertainment options, technologies, such as SpaceX’s Starlink, are playing a pivotal role in shaping this landscape,” Fortune Business Insights said in the report.
As recently as 2024, geostationary companies were leading the in-flight competition. Intelsat, which acquired in-flight company Gogo Commercial Aviation in 2020, provided 54 percent, and ViaSat held 36 percent of the North American market.
But since then, Starlink has worked to land new in-flight connection agreements with airlines, including United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Emirates. Some airlines, like American and United, have contracts with more than one satellite company.
Ookla speed test data showed Starlink had risen to 47.8 percent of commercial airline connections as of late 2025.
Starlink is using its speed and latency advantages over geostationary systems to win market share in the Starlink in-flight internet market. Ookla said in an April report that “Starlink’s slowest users still experienced faster internet than the average user on any other [in-flight] satellite network.”
