Emirates, the Dubai-based long-haul airline, has now fitted 65 of its aircraft with Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, and is adding the service to between 10 and 12 more aircraft every month. The figures come from Adnan Kazim, the airline’s Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, who gave them to the broadcaster CNBC Arabia in an interview reported by Gulf News on 26 October 2026.
Key facts
- Source: Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, speaking to CNBC Arabia, as reported by Gulf News on 26 October 2026.
- 65 aircraft fitted with Starlink; 10 to 12 more planned each month.
- 104 aircraft have been refurbished under the airline’s cabin refurbishment programme, with a target of 116 by the end of this year.
- Emirates operated a fleet of 277 aircraft at the end of March 2026, with an average age of 10.8 years, according to the Emirates Group annual report for the 2025–2026 financial year cited by Gulf News.
- The report does not say which aircraft types are being fitted first, or on which routes the service is available.
What Emirates said about the rollout
“We have introduced Starlink on 65 aircraft and plan to add the service to between 10 and 12 aircraft a month,” Kazim told CNBC Arabia, in the quote carried by Gulf News.
The refurbishment side of the airline’s cabin work is further along than the Starlink fitting: Kazim put the number of refurbished aircraft at 104, with the airline aiming for 116 by the end of 2026. The report does not say whether refurbishment and Starlink installation happen on the same aircraft or in the same hangar visit.
Checking the pace against Emirates’ own timeline
Gulf News does not date the start of the 65 installations, but Emirates’ earlier announcements do. The airline said in 2024 that it would offer Starlink to passengers at no charge, and its media centre put its first Starlink-equipped A380 into service that November. On those two published figures, 65 aircraft in roughly 24 months works out at an average of under three a month — so the 10-to-12 figure Kazim gave CNBC Arabia is about four times the pace achieved so far, not a continuation of it.
Emirates is also listed among the airline partners on SpaceX’s own Starlink aviation page, which advertises up to 500 Mbps per aircraft but gives no per-airline installation counts. The 65-aircraft total itself appears only in the CNBC Arabia interview as reported by Gulf News; no Emirates newsroom release carrying that number is referenced, and we found no independent confirmation of it. Readers comparing this with the consumer service can see what Starlink costs and where Starlink is available on the ground.
Why it matters
The comparison is with how other carriers have framed their own Starlink news. Singapore Airlines said it would put Starlink on 53 jets from early 2027, and easyJet became the 50th airline to pick the service with fitting due to start in 2027 — both future-dated commitments with no aircraft yet flying the kit. At the larger end, American Airlines is keeping Starlink across a fleet of about 1,000 jets. Emirates’ figures are of a different kind: a count of aircraft already fitted and a stated monthly rate, which can be tested against later disclosures.
Fleet, deliveries and financing
Kazim set the connectivity work alongside the airline’s delivery schedule. Emirates has received 20 Airbus aircraft so far and expects four more before the end of 2026, he told CNBC Arabia, with Airbus deliveries then continuing at about one a month through 2027. Boeing aircraft are expected from summer 2027. Citing the Emirates Group annual report, Gulf News says the outstanding order book stood at 367 aircraft at the end of March 2026, with deliveries scheduled through 2038.
On paying for that, Emirates raised Dh10 billion through aircraft financing arrangements in domestic and international markets, the outlet reports, covering operating leases, insurance-backed financing and export credit agency facilities. The airline also announced additional fleet investments worth approximately $41.4 billion at published list prices during the Dubai Airshow 2025, covering 65 Boeing 777-9 aircraft and eight Airbus A350-900 aircraft.
Kazim added that strong passenger demand had helped the airline absorb part of the increase in operating costs. Gulf News does not break down which costs rose or by how much.
What is still unknown
The report gives no list of the aircraft types already fitted, no completion date for the whole fleet, and no indication of whether the 65 are concentrated on particular routes. It also does not restate the pricing arrangement Emirates set out in 2024.
For readers in Africa, the interview contains no information on Starlink availability, pricing or licensing in any African market. Its only Africa-related content concerns Emirates’ passenger operations in Egypt, which Kazim discussed separately from connectivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Starlink free for Emirates passengers?
Emirates said when it announced the deal in 2024 that Starlink would be offered to passengers at no charge, according to its media centre. The Gulf News report of Adnan Kazim’s CNBC Arabia interview does not restate that policy or give any price, fee or cabin-class condition, so nothing in this week’s coverage updates it.
Which Emirates aircraft types have Starlink, and on which routes?
Neither the Gulf News report nor Starlink’s aviation page breaks the 65 aircraft down by type, and no route list is given. Emirates’ own 2024 announcement said the first retrofitted aircraft was an A380, so passengers cannot currently tell from published material whether a particular flight is equipped.
How many Emirates aircraft still have no Starlink?
On the two published figures — 65 fitted and a fleet of 277 aircraft at the end of March 2026 — roughly 212 aircraft are not yet listed as equipped, about three-quarters of the fleet. Emirates has not published a completion date, and the fleet itself is growing as deliveries arrive.
Did Emirates say anything about its African operations in the same interview?
Kazim discussed Egypt, telling CNBC Arabia that Emirates has carried approximately 13.2 million passengers to and from the country over 40 years, Gulf News reports. He added that load factors on the Egypt services exceed 75 per cent “despite the events in the region.” He did not link Starlink to any specific route.
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