Inflight Reporter Grace Hardy was invited to an event by airBaltic to participate in the airline’s official Starlink launch. Here’s how it went:
airBaltic, the Latvian flag carrier, launched its first flight equipped with Starlink satellite connectivity last night, with the rest of the A220-300 fleet to follow, making it the first European airline to provide Starlink internet for free to all passengers. The inaugural flight invited the media and industry stakeholders to experience the in-flight connectivity first hand, flying over Latvia for just under two hours.
The evening started in Riga International Airport, home of airBaltic, where the airline had created a space-themed celebration, completed with bright blue cocktails and giant inflatable planets. We were issued Starlink themed boarding passes and following some games and speeches from the airBaltic team, we began to board the flight.
The passenger boarding bridge was aglow with futurist blue lights leading to the aircraft, and upon entering the cabin we were transported to a sci-fi-esque scene of moving illuminations. Each seat featured a Starlink/airBaltic headrest cover and a goodie box that contained a themed power bank, snacks, and other branded merchandise. We were also treated to an in-flight meal that included a matching blue and gold dessert. We were encouraged not to connect to the internet until we had fully taken off for an optimal experience, and with that we were on our way up into the brisk Latvian night sky.
After connecting to the Starlink Wi-Fi on multiple devices, I was happy to find that it did indeed provide smooth connectivity at several thousand metres above the ground. The internet was easy to connect to, without needing any logins or verifications. I ran multiple speed tests, and while the best I could get, 49 Mbps download, did not nearly meet the maximum 500 Mbps that Starlink mentions, I didn’t experience any noticeable lags. I made multiple calls using the internet, and the people on the other end said that I sounded loud and clear, with no delay. It is also worth noting that an entire aircraft of passengers was uploading, streaming, and making calls, which is out of the normal usage range that you would expect during a flight.
Following on from this event, the first official commercial flight will take place today, 21 February, from Riga to Munich, with the full fleet installation expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
“This is a historic milestone for airBaltic and a game-changer for European air travel,” said Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic. “By becoming the first European airline to integrate SpaceX’s Starlink, we are redefining what connectivity in the skies means. This is not just an improvement, it is a revolution in air travel, and we are proud to be at the forefront, delivering the future of connectivity to our passengers already today.”
“Customers and crew of airBaltic flights will now have access to high-speed, low-latency internet the moment they step onboard their plane,” added Chad Gibbs, SpaceX’s Vice President of Starlink Business Operations. “This year, we intend to have the entire airBaltic fleet connected with Starlink, and we couldn’t be more excited to provide reliable internet service on tens of thousands of flights and counting all around the world.”
Currently, Qatar Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, and airBaltic are the only airlines with active, useable Starlink, while United Airlines, WestJet, Air France, SAS, and Air New Zealand have announced plans to install the connectivity in the near future.
Photos: Inflight
