Southwest Airlines will begin rolling out Starlink-powered WiFi across its fleet this summer. The carrier plans to have installed the upgrade on more than 300 of its 800 aircraft by the end of 2026.
Tony Roach, Executive Vice President, Chief Customer & Brand Officer at Southwest Airlines, said:
Free WiFi has been a huge hit with our Rapid Rewards Members, and we know our Customers expect seamless connectivity across all their devices when they travel. Starlink delivers that at-home experience in the air, giving Customers the ability to stream their favourite shows from any platform, watch live sports, download music, play games, work, and connect with loved ones from takeoff to landing.
Southwest already provide free inflight WiFi through T-Mobile. Investing in Starlink represents another stage in Southwest’s modernisation plan, which includes introducing assigned seating, adding in-seat power, and offering an improved extra legroom experience.
Jason Fritch, Vice President of Starlink Enterprise Sales at SpaceX, said:
We’re thrilled to deliver a connectivity experience to Southwest Airlines and its Customers that really is similar, if not better, than what you can experience in your own home. Starlink is the future of connected travel, making every journey faster, smoother, and infinitely more enjoyable.
Delivering connectivity through a constellation of over 9,000 low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites, Starlink promises to offer users unrivalled high-speed Internet for gaming, streaming, and video calls. Southwest is the latest carrier to strike a deal with the SpaceX service, joining United Airlines on the tech company’s growing roster of airline partners in the Americas. JetBlue, meanwhile, are the only carrier in America (and the world) to have signed a deal with rival provider Amazon Leo.
Join us at Aviation Festival Americas 2026, where we’ll be joined by France Grenot, Managing Director, Offer/Order, Revenue Management, and Network Planning, and other executives from Southwest Airlines.
For more like this, see:
