Lufthansa Group to Equip 850 Aircraft with Starlink Wifi
By Mark Caswell
The high-speed wifi technology will be gradually rolled out across the group’s fleet from later this year
Lufthansa Group has become the latest aviation firm to partner with Space X for the roll out of its high-speed inflight Starlink wifi technology.
Around 850 existing and newly delivered aircraft will be equipped with Starlink, with the first flights set to offer the service “as early as the second half of 2026”. The group’s entire fleet is scheduled to be fitted by 2029.
The technology will be offered across all classes, and will be free for status customers and all users of the group’s free-to-register Travel ID system.
The announcement coincides with Lufthansa’s centenary this year, and follows the unveiling of the carrier’s Future Onboard Experience concept for long-haul flights.
The latter promises benefits including additional meal choices and updated tableware.
Lufthansa Was a Pioneer of Inflight Wifi
Lufthansa was one of the first commercial airlines to offer inflight wifi, launching its FlyNet service back in 2003 using the long since defunct Connexion by Boeing platform.
The FlyNet brand continues to this day and is used by Lufthansa Group subsidiaries including Austrian Airlines and Eurowings.
Current pricing varies according to class of travel and loyalty programme status, and the platform also allows for free inflight messaging on long-haul Lufthansa flights.
The new agreement will see group carriers including Austrian, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, Lufthansa and SWISS all roll out Starlink’s wifi across their fleets. Lufthansa Group states that “no other airline [in Europe] will equip more aircraft with Starlink technology”.
Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency internet service promises benefits including access to live streaming and the ability to download/upload documents and edit shared files in real-time.
Starlink Rapidly Becoming The Go-To Technology For Inflight Wifi
Over the last two years a raft of airlines and aviation groups have opted to partner with Starlink for their inflight wifi provision.
In October 2024, Qatar Airways was the first carrier to equip a Boeing 777 with the technology, and it has so far fitted around 120 of its aircraft with Starlink wifi.
Other airlines which have confirmed Starlink partnerships include United, Air France, SAS and Virgin Atlantic. Additionally, in November 2025 both IAG and Emirates announced plans to roll out the technology.
However major US carriers American Airlines and Delta have gone in different directions, partnering with telecommunications firms AT&T and T-Mobile respectively.
