easyJet, the British low-cost airline, said on 26 October 2026 that it has signed a partnership with Starlink, the satellite internet service run by SpaceX, to put high-speed Wi-Fi on board its aircraft for the first time. Installation starts in the first half of 2027 and is targeted for completion by early 2028, according to reporting on the announcement by Rustourismnews.com, Love Ballymena, avioradar and en.traicy.
The announcement was issued as a press release through easyJet’s corporate media centre, and the service the airline is buying is described on Starlink’s aviation pages. The quotes and figures in this report reach us through the four outlets above, each of which cites that release.
Key facts
- The programme covers Airbus A320, A320neo and A321neo aircraft, the three types listed in easyJet’s installation plan.
- Fitting begins in the first half of 2027; completion is targeted for early 2028.
- easyJet has not said whether the service will be free or paid, and has published no route-by-route schedule.
- The airline operates more than 350 aircraft on over 1,200 routes serving more than 160 airports in 35 countries, per Rustourismnews.com, and carried about 100 million passengers in 2025.
- In January 2026, chief executive Kenton Jarvis said Starlink had been discussed but the financial arrangements were not attractive enough at that stage.
- No financial terms have been disclosed for the deal now signed.
Why it matters
easyJet carries no general onboard internet today, so this is a reversal of position rather than an upgrade to an existing product.
The European tally is becoming lopsided. Among the European carriers named across the four reports, Lufthansa Group, SAS and airBaltic already offer or are expanding Starlink; easyJet becomes the fourth name on that list and the first large low-cost operator on it. Ryanair is the only European group these reports place on the other side of the argument, and none of them identifies a European carrier that has chosen a competing satellite provider instead.
Volume is the other shift. At more than 350 aircraft, easyJet’s programme would eventually dwarf the biggest Starlink fleets flying or firmly planned elsewhere: Emirates has Starlink on 65 aircraft and is adding 10 to 12 a month, and Singapore Airlines is fitting 53 jets from early 2027. If the schedule holds, short-haul Europe rather than long-haul will account for most of the growth in Starlink availability during 2027.
What passengers will get, and what is still unknown
Passengers will connect with their own smartphones, tablets and laptops and will be able to stream video, browse websites, play online games and work in flight, Rustourismnews.com, Love Ballymena and avioradar all report. Starlink relies on satellites in low Earth orbit and, according to SpaceX, connectivity will be available from take-off to landing, avioradar says; Rustourismnews.com attributes the practicality of streaming and online gaming in the air to the relatively low latency that low orbit allows.
Starlink availability will be uneven while the work proceeds. Rustourismnews.com and Love Ballymena both stress that the rollout is progressive, so two aircraft flying the same route may offer different levels of connectivity during the installation period.
The biggest gap is price. Every source states that easyJet has not said whether access will be complimentary, tied to certain fare types or sold separately, and avioradar notes that no usage packages were described. That distinction matters, Rustourismnews.com argues, because easyJet’s low-cost model normally charges for optional services, while several competing airlines have introduced complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi.
Where the sources differ on fleet scope
en.traicy describes the launch as covering easyJet’s “entire fleet of Airbus A320 and Airbus A321 aircraft”. avioradar is more cautious, observing that easyJet refers broadly to its fleet in the introduction to the press release while the specific installation plan lists only the A320, A320neo and A321neo.
What the two companies said
Jarvis said the partnership reflects changing expectations among holidaymakers and business travellers alike, that “innovation is in easyJet’s DNA” and that getting online in the air means greater choice and convenience, in the quote carried by Love Ballymena.
Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX, said the company was proud to bring Starlink on board easyJet and that fast, reliable connectivity from take-off to landing lets people work, stream or stay in touch without interruption, per Love Ballymena and avioradar.
Background: nine months from “not attractive” to signed
easyJet carried on evaluating connectivity options, including other providers, after Jarvis’s January remarks and committed to Starlink nine months later across its main Airbus fleet, Rustourismnews.com reports. The outlet says the airline has not explained whether installation costs or other commercial conditions changed in the interval. Elsewhere the direction of travel is the same: in the United States, American Airlines is keeping Starlink for its entire 1,000-jet fleet.
For anyone booking now, the announcement changes nothing on board, because the Wi-Fi is a future service. The four reports describe easyJet’s network as European short-haul and say nothing about African routes or about availability beyond that network.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which easyJet aircraft are missing from the installation list?
Both avioradar and Rustourismnews.com point out that the Airbus A319 does not appear on the list easyJet published. Rustourismnews.com says the airline has been progressively removing the A319 from its fleet.
What will the connection be used for besides streaming and browsing?
The reports say travellers will be able to check flight information through the easyJet app or website and look up destination details such as weather, local transport and tourist attractions. Love Ballymena and avioradar add that easyJet has flagged the possibility of passengers ordering food and drinks from their seats, with no timeline confirmed.
Why is Ryanair not doing the same?
Rustourismnews.com reports that Ryanair, the Irish low-cost airline, has argued that fitting satellite internet equipment could raise operating costs through added weight and aerodynamic drag, and that chief executive Michael O’Leary has questioned whether enough short-haul passengers would pay to justify it.
Which airlines outside Europe already fly with Starlink?
en.traicy names ZIPAIR Tokyo of Japan, Qatar Airways, Hawaiian Airlines and United Airlines among carriers already using the service.
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