Frequent flyers gain gate-to-gate streaming and speedy cloud access as satellite links roll out in record time.
Scandinavian Airlines ( SAS) has completed the full installation of Starlink onboard its 81 Airbus A320neo aircraft. Next time you're flying on the airline's narrowbody aircraft, frequent flyers who are part of the EuroBonus can access the service for free. This will enable passengers easy access to the network to work, stream, and keep in touch with those on the ground.
SAS first launched Starlink on select aircraft in March this year, and had ambitions to roll the service out across its entire A320neo fleet. Just six months later, the SkyTeam carrier has now completed this installation.
All 81 of the Airbus A320neo now provide Starlink capability to passengers, and the completion of this project in just six months now brings high-speed connectivity to customers and crew. The installations were undertaken alongside normal flight operations, with aircraft periodically removed from service to undergo installation and testing before returning to scheduled operations.
Given that the A320neo fleet accounts for 70% of the airline's total fleet, the exciting achievement means that the majority of its aircraft now offer satellite connectivity. This particular aircraft for SAS is the backbone of its European operations, and the completion of the rollout makes it the first aircraft type in the SAS fleet to be fully equipped with Starlink. Paul Verhagen, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at SAS, explains:
“Today, the installation across our entire A320neo fleet is complete, in record time. Bringing high-speed connectivity to these aircraft means many of our customers can enjoy a better-connected journey. Being connected has become a natural part of everyday life, and that doesn’t change when we board a plane. With gate-to-gate connectivity, our customers have more freedom to choose how they spend their time travelling with us.”
SAS now plans to shift its focus to the next phase of Starlink rollout, with plans to install the services on other remaining aircraft types through the end of the year. Using data from ch-aviation, the airline operates a total of eight different families of aircraft with a total of 94 overall, as detailed below:
| Aircraft Type | Number Active | |---|---| | Airbus A319-100 | Four | | Airbus A320neo | 48 | | Airbus A320-200 | Three | | Airbus A321neo | Three | | Airbus A330-300 | Eight | | Airbus A350-900 | Six | | ATR 72 | Nine | | Boeing 737-700 | One | | Bombardier CRJ 1000 | Two | | Bombardier CRJ 900 | Ten | | TOTAL ACTIVE AIRCRAFT | 94 |
The completion of the A320neo Starlink rollout coincides with SAS celebrating its 8th decade of operations, the 80th anniversary of SAS, celebrating how the airline continues to connect Scandinavia with the rest of the world and pioneers routes with new technology. Starlink is the latest chapter in this airline's lofty ambitions.
Several airlines around the world already have Starlink active onboard for connectivity for passengers and crew, including airBaltic, United Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Air France, WestJet and Arajet. Other airlines have pending or contracted rollouts, including members of IAG, Lufthansa, Southwest, Alaska Airlines and Air New Zealand.
Airlines pursuing Starlink connectivity enable the low Earth orbit satellite to deliver high-speed, low-latency internet for passengers from the moment they take off to landing, even when over remote regions and oceans. The performance and speed are otherwise unmatched and can handle heavy data use, such as video streaming or cloud applications.
Its quick response time is faster than traditional air-to-ground or geostationary systems, and allows you to remain connected even when the plane is parked at the gate, taxiing, or flying at high altitude. For the crew, it provides real-time weather feeds, updated flight plans if routes need to change, and voids dead zones, with reliable coverage across the globe.
Airlines are quickly adopting Starlink hardware onboard so it can provide at-home-quality internet to those traveling at 30,000 feet. SAS's successful rollout of Starlink onboard its A320neo fleet means that no matter where you are traveling in Europe with the airline, you can ensure you will remain connected throughout the flight.
