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Alaska Airlines launches new era of connectivity with Starlink, the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky

August 21, 2025

Alaska Airlines will launch an upgrade to their inflight experience: the fastest, most reliable Wi-Fi in the sky on every flight. Starting in 2026, Alaska guests will be able to use Starlink Wi-Fi with ultra-fast speeds and lower latency to enable seamless access to live gaming, real-time messaging and high-quality streaming across multiple devices, that currently exceeds what most carriers can deliver.

Alaska will begin providing Starlink Wi-Fi to its fleet starting in 2026, with all aircraft — regional, narrowbody and widebody — connected by 2027, alongside their Hawaiian Airlines Starlink-equipped aircraft.

Alaska will provide the most flights from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport end-to-end Starlink Wi-Fi to become the first U.S. airline to operate Starlink-equipped long-haul flights from the city. Following Hawaiian Airlines’ launch last year as the first major airline to offer Starlink, Alaska and Hawaiian are providing the future of inflight connectivity.

Ben Minicucci Chief Executive Officer and President of Alaska Air Group said, “With Starlink already live on Hawaiian Airlines and installations starting this winter across Alaska’s fleet, we’re proud that we’ll offer the fastest, most reliable inflight internet in the skies — with gate-to-gate connectivity on nearly every aircraft across both airlines.”

This addition is part of Alaska’s multi-layer plan to deliver a complete travel experience from unifying loyalty, to launching a premium credit card, and soon, providing home-quality internet to the skies globally, including full flights and in remote areas.

Chad Gibbs Vice President of Starlink Operations at SpaceX added, “We’re thrilled to provide reliable high-speed internet on Alaska Airlines’ flights. From gate to gate, Alaska’s passengers will now experience the world’s best inflight connectivity.”

Starlink’s low-latency, high-bandwidth performance is structured for real-time applications such as workplace messaging platforms, collaborative documents, video streaming, gaming and multi-device use. With latency less than 99 ms and speeds up to 500 Mbps, guests can expect at least 7x faster than the geostationary satellite-based Wi-Fi systems used by other airlines.

With more than 8,000 satellites in orbit, Starlink provides uninterrupted connectivity for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines’ guests, keeping them connected through their journey, including in remote areas. In 2026, Alaska will be the first U.S. airline operating long-haul flights from Seattle offering consistent, uninterrupted Wi-Fi service .

Alaska is the only airline with a hub in Seattle to offer Starlink Wi-Fi, starting in 2026 with completion by 2027. Alaska has recently introduced the TSA PreCheck® Touchless ID Program, an industry-first food and beverage pre-order system through its mobile app, and a self-serve check-in experience that begins before guests reach the airport.

Starlink’s electronically steered antennas feature no moving parts and have a much smaller footprint atop the aircraft to reduce both weight and drag that impact fuel economy. This new technology, featuring the lightest equipment, helps further reduce carbon emissions by conserving over 800,000 gallons of fuel per year, making it the most fuel-efficient premium U.S. carrier.

Filed Under: Launch Providers, LEO Constellations

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