Hawaiin Airlines' Airbus Planes Take Flight With Starlink Internet Service At No Additional Cost To Customer

Elon Musk‘s SpaceX said on Tuesday that its Starlink satellite internet service is now available on all Hawaiian Airlines Airbus-operated flights to or from the island state.

What Happened: All of the airlines’ A321neo and A330 planes are now equipped with Starlink satellite internet service, giving passengers the option of staying connected while they are in the air, the airlines said on Tuesday.

Starlink-provided internet access will allow passengers to stream content, play online games, or catch up on emails while they are traveling. Passengers will not be charged for the service and while it is currently limited to Airbus planes, the airline is also looking to install Starlink on its new Boeing 787 aircraft in the future, it said.

Starlink is SpaceX’s satellite internet division. In July, SpaceX CEO Musk said that Starlink is now operating on over 1000 aircraft around the globe.

Why It Matters: Starlink provides high-speed internet on flights with a latency of less than 99 ms and a maximum download speed per terminal of 220 Mbps. This allows passengers to make video calls, and play games online, among other things.

Starlink has announced in-flight internet deals with airlines including JSX Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Zipair.

Starlink is available on Airbus A321 Neo, Bombardier Global 6000, and Embraer ERJ-135 aircraft, among others. Before the end of the year, it is also expected to be available on Airbus A220, Boeing 737, and Bombardier Global 5000.

Last year, Musk said that Starlink would be available on most aircraft "soon" depending on whether airlines order it. Starlink provides the same responsiveness on all parts of an air journey, from take off until the flight touches high altitude, Musk said in June.

Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.

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Photo courtesy: SpaceX