In July 2025, Virgin Atlantic revealed plans to introduce Starlink Wi-Fi, an announcement that coincided with plans to overhaul the Boeing 787 cabins. There’s now an exciting update, as Virgin Atlantic has shared that it has completed installation of the service on one aircraft type. That’s great, though now we’ll have to be patient for other aircraft to get the service.
Virgin Atlantic rolling out free Starlink Wi-Fi fleetwide
Virgin Atlantic is partnering with SpaceX, to introduce Starlink Wi-Fi throughout its fleet. Best of all, Virgin Atlantic is offering Starlink Wi-Fi for free for all members of its Flying Club loyalty program (which is free to sign-up for), and members can connect with multiple devices, including laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
Starlink is known for its high-speed, low-latency broadband internet, and the service is offered gate to gate. Starlink Wi-Fi allows for live streaming, productivity similar to on the ground (with high upload and download speeds), gaming, e-commerce, and more.
Virgin Atlantic eventually intends to offer Starlink Wi-Fi on all of its Airbus A330neos, Airbus A350s, and Boeing 787s. The only planes that won’t be getting Starlink Wi-Fi are the Airbus A330ceos, as those will be retired in the next couple of years.
Starlink is becoming increasingly popular with airlines. So far we’ve seen carriers like American Airlines, Aer Lingus, airBaltic, Air France, Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Copa, Emirates, Gulf Air, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, Korean Air, Lufthansa Group, Qatar Airways, SAS, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and WestJet, all announce plans to install the service. What’s also great about Starlink is that the installation process is pretty quick, once aircraft are certified to have it installed.
Here’s how Virgin Atlantic’s Chief Customer Officer, Juha Jaervinen, described this development back when it was announced:
“We were the first UK airline to announce free, fleet-wide Starlink Wi-Fi, and from May, we’re starting to deliver it for our customers. As the rollout gathers pace, we plan to deliver 100% Starlink connectivity across our fleet in 2027, as part of our focus on creating a brilliantly connected experience.”
“Together with Starlink, we’re setting a new standard for connectivity in the skies, with fast, free, high-speed WiFi available from the moment customers step onboard. It’s all part of creating a truly connected, ‘home away from home’ experience, giving customers the freedom to use their time onboard exactly as they choose, whether that’s staying close to work, to plans, or to the people who matter most.”
Even before committing to Starlink, Virgin Atlantic already did pretty well with Wi-Fi, as the airline has Viasat Wi-Fi on some aircraft, available at a cost. However, Starlink is not only faster, but complimentary.
Virgin Atlantic Starlink Wi-Fi rollout progress
While Virgin Atlantic was the first airline in the UK to announce plans to install Starlink, British Airways quickly followed Virgin Atlantic’s lead, and even beat the carrier to the punch when it comes to starting the rollout of the service.
However, Virgin Atlantic has made very impressive progress with actually installing the service:
- In a matter of weeks, Virgin Atlantic has installed Starlink on its entire A350 fleet, so all A350 passengers can look forward to using this service
- Next up, Virgin Atlantic plans to install Starlink on its 787s, though that project isn’t expected to start until some point in the second half of 2026
- Lastly, A330neos will be getting Starlink, but that’s only happening after the 787 project is complete, and it’s expected to commence at some point in 2027
So the good news is that A350 customers can now consistently enjoy this service, though patience will be required for the remaining aircraft. Fun fact, shared by Virgin Atlantic — with the old paid Wi-Fi system, roughly 10% of customers used Wi-Fi, while with Starlink, roughly 75% of customers are using Wi-Fi. That’s quite a change!
Bottom line
Virgin Atlantic is in the process of rolling out free Starlink Wi-Fi for Flying Club members. The airline has now installed Starlink on all A350s, which is a major milestone. Then all 787s are expected to get the service in the second half of 2026, while A330neos are expected to get it in 2027.
This is an exciting development. It’s awesome to see that free high speed Wi-Fi is increasingly becoming an industry standard, and look forward to using this service.
What do you make of Virgin Atlantic introducing free Starlink Wi-Fi?