Elon Musk and Space X’s VP for Starlink Engineering have disparaged American Airlines on X as the airline entered talks for a potential inflight connectivity deal with rivals Amazon Leo.
Bloomberg first reported that American were discussing a partnership with Amazon last week. Formerly known as Project Kuiper, Amazon Leo has launched 150 low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites, putting it directly in competition with the Starlink project.
Seemingly taking a swipe at the potential Amazon/American partnership, SpaceX VP for Starlink Engineering Michael Nicolls posted on X:
Only fly on airlines with good connectivity… and only one source of good connectivity at the moment…
Elon Musk, SpaceX founder and CEO, added fuel to the flames, replying to Nicholls’ post:
American Airlines will lose a lot of customers if their connectivity solution fails
Starlink’s LEO coverage far surpasses that of its competitors. With a constellation of 9,000 satellites, the company already provides internet access to more than 8 million users worldwide. So far, JetBlue are the only airline to have signed a deal with Amazon LEO for inflight WiFi, while Starlink boasts an impressive roster of aviation partners, including IAG, Qatar Airways, and United.
American Airlines currently partners with Viasat to offer inflight WiFi to passengers. Internet access comes at a fee of US$10 or more, but subscription plans are available for frequent flyers. Airlines such as Emirates, which have gained a reputation for industry-leading customer service, say Starlink WiFi will be available for free to all passengers once installation is complete. As American doubles down on its premiumisation strategy, improving inflight connectivity could be a key market differentiator.
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