US low-cost carrier (LCC) Frontier Airlines are among a spate of carriers announcing a major service upgrade: Starlink-powered inflight WiFi from 2027.
The deal with Starlink was struck through private equity firm Indigo Partners, who have a controlling interest in Frontier as well as Mexican LCC JetSMART. Other carriers partially controlled by Indigo include Wizz, Volaris, and Cebu Pacific. The connectivity agreement covers more than a thousand aircraft across these airlines, making it one of the largest thus signed.
The airline join the SpaceX company’s growing roster of global partners, which now include IAG, Qatar Airways, and Southwest.
Jimmy Dempsey, Chief Executive Officer at Frontier, commented:
We’re continuing to invest in the products and services that matter most to our customers. Starlink transforms the onboard experience, giving customers the flexibility to work, stream, browse, and stay connected throughout their journey. Alongside the introduction of First Class seating and enhancements to our loyalty program, it’s another example of how we’re evolving the travel experience while staying true to our commitment to offering the lowest fares.
Frontier has been pivoting to a more premium product to appeal to customer preferences while shoring up revenues in a difficult North American market. This year has already seen the collapse of fellow LCC Spirit, while competitors Sun Country and Allegiant announced their merger in January this year.
European LCC Wizz have also announced new Wizz Class seats in an effort to attract higher-paying customers.
None of the Indigo Partners airlines have confirmed whether Starlink WiFi access will be free for passengers. Last week, Copa Airlines became the first carrier to announce that they would be charging most travellers to get online through the service, a decision that could become industry standard, especially for LCCs.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary provoked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk earlier this year by asserting that Starlink wasn’t worth investment for low-cost carriers seeking to minimise expenditure.
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