airBaltic announced today that all of its Airbus A220-300 fleet will be using SpaceX's Starlink for internet connectivity. Passengers will get high-speed internet access for free without a login page when boarding the plane.
Starlink from SpaceX provides high-speed broadband and low latency in more than 40 countries. Satellites in low Earth orbit, 550 km, are more than 65x from geostationary satellites. Starlink can provide up to 350 Mbps, and latency as low as 20 ms. Passengers can engage in online gaming, virtual private networks, and other high-data activities.
"Martin Gauss, CEO of airBaltic: "This marks a historic moment for our airline and the industry. airBaltic will soon become the first airline in Europe to provide high-speed, unlimited, and free satellite internet on board. We are delighted to be able to enhance the service to our passengers, and have found the right provider - SpaceX's Starlink - to meet our needs. With the most modern aircraft, this is the logical next step for airBaltic to implement in-flight internet solutions on the most modern aircraft."
"airBaltic is setting a new standard by becoming the first European airline to implement Starlink in its entirety," said Starlink Sales Vice President Jonathan Hofeller from SpaceX. Starlink's high-speed, low-latency internet will provide airBaltic passengers with an at-home internet experience, eliminating the need for logins and large downloads before takeoff.
airBaltic will work with SpaceX to obtain the required and expected STC (type certification) approval and is expected to start installing the product on its entire airBaltic Airbus A220-300 fleet this year.
About airBaltic
airBaltic is an international airline based in Latvia connecting the Baltic region to over 70 destinations. They employ over 2100 staff, operate 39 Airbus A220-300 aircraft, and contribute 2.5% to Latvia's GDP. Skytrax and Airlineratings.com have given airBaltic a five-star COVID-19 safety rating and several awards for excellence and innovation. airBaltic is a joint venture owned by the state of Latvia (97.96%) and private shareholders (2.04%).
