Vietjet, the Vietnamese low-cost airline, has signed an agreement with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service to give passengers free high-speed internet in flight, starting with 120 aircraft. The airline announced the deal on Thursday 24 September 2026, in reports datelined New York by Vietnam News and The Star.
Key facts
- Who: Vietjet and Starlink, the satellite broadband unit of SpaceX.
- What: An agreement to provide free high-speed internet access to passengers, installed initially on 120 aircraft.
- The fleet split: 100 Airbus A321 and Boeing 737 aircraft, plus 20 Airbus A330 aircraft, the airline said.
- When and where announced: 24 September 2026, with both reports datelined New York.
- Signing context: The agreement was signed during a visit to the United States by Vietnam’s General Secretary and President To Lam, and was exchanged in the presence of senior government and business representatives from Vietnam and the US.
- Scope: Vietjet called the deal the start of a long-term technology partnership with SpaceX, and said it would keep investing in data, artificial intelligence and other digital technologies to expand connectivity across its network.
What the two sides said
Vietjet chairwoman Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao said the service would allow passengers to remain connected during flights for work, entertainment and communications. “With Starlink, time in the air no longer has to mean time offline,” Thao said, as quoted by Vietnam News.
Tim Hughes, senior vice president of global business and government affairs at SpaceX, said the company was pleased to provide the service to Vietjet and its customers, both reports state.
One wire story, two mastheads
The two accounts are not independent. The Star credits the story to Vietnam News/ANN and Vietnam News credits it to VNS; the facts, figures and quotes match line for line, and the only visible difference is diacritics — Vietnam News renders the names as Việt Nam, Tô Lâm and Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo, while The Star drops them. Neither version links a SpaceX newsroom post, an airline press release or a regulatory filing, and neither quotes an aviation authority on certification, so every figure in this story traces to one announcement.
Background: airlines keep choosing Starlink
Starlink’s own aviation page pitches the service to commercial carriers as per-aircraft terminals plus a monthly service plan, and the carrier signings have come steadily through 2026. In North Africa, Royal Air Maroc picked Starlink for 41 aircraft, making it one of the few African flag carriers to commit publicly. In Europe, Lufthansa switched on Starlink Wi-Fi with 850 aircraft due by 2029 — a bigger programme than Vietjet’s initial 120, and one with a stated end date the Vietjet reports have no equivalent for.
Price: who pays for a free cabin
Starlink’s aviation page sells the service by the aircraft — a terminal per airframe and a monthly service plan — rather than by the passenger. Reading those published terms against Vietjet’s announcement, which is our analysis and not a claim either report makes, a cabin that is free to passengers means the airline carries that recurring cost instead of recovering it through session passes. What neither report says is the hard part: no figure for what Vietjet is paying, no indication of which plan it has bought, and nothing on whether fares, ancillary sales or sponsorship are meant to cover it.
Availability: no switch-on date
Neither report says when the first fitted aircraft enters service, and neither addresses Starlink licensing across the countries and airspace Vietjet flies or installation approval for each aircraft type. Demand in parts of Asia has been running ahead of home take-up: Starlink has found its strongest Korean demand in aviation rather than homes, and carrier contracts like this one are where that capacity is being booked.
What we don’t know yet
The announcement carries no value for the agreement and no installation order — including whether the 20 A330 widebodies and the 100 narrowbodies share a schedule. Neither Vietnam News nor The Star reports any market reaction, analyst comment or share-price movement.
What to watch next
Watch for the first Vietjet aircraft to fly with the system, any certification or licensing milestone for Starlink terminals on its A321s, 737s and A330s, and any further joint announcement from the airline and SpaceX. We will update this story as those details are confirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the Starlink service work on international and over-ocean flights?
Vietjet said the service is expected to provide connectivity on both domestic and international flights, including over oceans and remote areas, according to Vietnam News. The reports do not break that down by route or region.
Will Vietjet fit Starlink to more than 120 aircraft?
Yes. Vietjet said it also plans to install Starlink on aircraft it receives in the future, according to The Star. Neither report gives a number for those later installations.
What speeds, data limits or sign-up will passengers get?
Neither Vietnam News nor The Star gives figures. The two accounts say only that the internet will be free and high-speed; they do not specify speeds, data allowances, cabin hardware, or how passengers will log in. Starlink’s own aviation page markets the service to carriers by aircraft terminal and monthly plan rather than by passenger speed tier.
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