Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350 Neo. Photo: Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic is the latest major airline to go down the Starlink route for in-flight connectivity (IFC). Virgin Atlantic will be the first U.K. airline to have IFC provided by Starlink. Virgin Atlantic customers can expect begin experiencing IFC in the third quarter of next year. The full installation is slated to finish by the end of 2027.

Starlink now has a roster of airline customers that include: Hawaiian Airlines, Qatar Airways, United Airlines, Air France, SAS among others, as it continues to make inroads into this market.

Virgin Atlantic announced July 8 it will begin installing the service on its Boeing 787s, Airbus A350s, and A330neos next year. The new service aims to create a ‘home away from home’ Wi-Fi experience for customers. It will be free for the company’s Flying Club members.

In July last year, Virgin Atlantic confirmed an order for seven A330-900neos, completing its $17 billion fleet transformation. By 2028, the airline will operate a mixed fleet of 45 next-generation aircraft comprising 19 A330-900s, 12 A350-1000s, and 14 787-9s.

“We never stop innovating for our guests and today, in a first for any U.K. airline, we’ll soon have free, streaming quality, unlimited, fleet-wide Wi-Fi. Together with Starlink, we are delighted to provide our guests with the best connectivity in the skies, further elevating our onboard experience. The new service allows our guests to create a home away from home experience, allowing customers to connect seamlessly, from the moment they board the aircraft, enjoying the same quality in the air as they do on the ground,” Siobhan Fitzpatrick, chief experience officer of Virgin Atlantic, said in a statement.