Air New Zealand has announced it is working with satellite Internet service provider Starlink to to introduce free internet on board the carrier’s domestic aircraft.
The airline is planning for the first Starlink internet service to be installed on its ATR aircraft and a domestic jet in late 2024, providing high speed, low latency internet to domestic aircraft. The airline says it is also planning to roll out domestic internet on further aircraft in 2025.
Air New Zealand says that Starlink offers reliable high-speed, low latency in-flight internet with a latency as low as 30ms. Passengers will be able to stream video content and instantly message friends and family with multiple devices connected.
Air New Zealand Chief Digital Officer Nikhil Ravishankar said: “We’re always looking at how new and innovative technology can deliver improved customer experiences and with the world’s largest satellite constellation, exploring in-motion connectivity on our aircraft with Starlink was a no brainer.
“Whether travelling for work or leisure, we know maintaining seamless internet connectivity is something that will transform the travel experience for customers. Our free and accessible Wi-Fi onboard international flights has proved incredibly popular among customers, so we can’t wait to bring connectivity to domestic flights. Don’t worry though, if you’re the type of traveller who loves some downtime while in the air, you’re under no obligation to connect and can still use the time to switch off from the world below!”
Jason Fritch a Vice President of Starlink at SpaceX commented: “We’re proud to work with Air New Zealand to bring Starlink’s high-speed internet to their aircraft and extend this game-changing in-flight connectivity experience to more passengers around the world.”
