United Airlines receives FAA approval to launch Star Alliance flights in May.

United Airlines announced on Monday (March 31) that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved its first model equipped with Starlink, allowing passengers to use high-speed Wi-Fi during flights.

The first commercial flight equipped with Starlink will be operated by United Express’s Embraer 175 flight, with the inaugural commercial flight planned for May.

In a press release, United Airlines stated, “We know that customers will love this experience, giving them more reasons to choose to fly with United Airlines.” United Airlines also mentioned that they will closely collaborate with Starlink and the FAA to complete the installation of the new technology in their regional fleet this year, providing a new experience to an increasing number of people.

Last September, United Airlines based in Chicago signed a contract with Starlink, planning to install Starlink on over 300 aircraft by the end of 2025.

Apart from United Airlines, Starlink has also signed agreements with Hawaiian Airlines and JSX, among several other airlines, to offer in-flight internet services.

In 2015, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced the ambitious Starlink project, aiming to provide high-speed internet services using a constellation of over 6,300 satellites orbiting closer to the Earth’s surface. This project aims to bridge the digital divide by offering reliable and affordable internet services to locations where connectivity is unreliable, expensive, or nonexistent. This technology holds the potential to potentially put an end to internet censorship in authoritarian regimes, providing high-speed internet access to people worldwide.

（This article was referenced from The Congressional Hill Report）