United Airlines chief executive Scott Kirby says the carrier’s Starlink-powered in-flight Wi-Fi is already pulling travellers away from rival airlines, but he will not promise it can carry United to double-digit profit margins. The claim and the caveat come from two interviews surfacing this week: remarks Kirby made to US business broadcaster CNBC on 21 October, reported by Indian financial outlet Mint, and a sit-down with Yahoo Finance at its 2026 Invest conference, published on 13 November.
Key facts
- Kirby told CNBC: “We’re going to cross the 50% threshold this week with 50% of flights on Starlink,” and said United would finish the rollout by the end of next year, according to Mint.
- United said on 20 October that Starlink had been installed on more than 640 aircraft, with roughly three more fitted every day, Mint reported.
- The rollout is expected to reach 61% of departures by the end of 2026 and 87% by 1 June 2027, before covering the whole fleet by the end of 2027, Mint said, citing reports.
- Elon Musk, the SpaceX chief executive whose company operates Starlink, responded to Kirby’s comments on X with the line “Starlink moves the needle,” per Mint.
- Asked by Yahoo Finance to sum up the year in one word, Kirby said “resilience,” adding that United’s fuel bill is up $8 billion this year.
- Kirby would not commit to Starlink delivering double-digit margins, telling CNBC: “Is it going to be enough to get us to double-digit margins? I don’t know. It’s going to be hard.”
Why it matters
Aviation is one of the few Starlink markets where a single customer decision puts the service in front of millions of people at once, and United is the biggest test of whether satellite Wi-Fi changes buying behaviour. Kirby’s framing — connectivity as a competitive weapon, already covered here in Kirby: Starlink Is United’s Biggest Edge in 100 Years — is now being tested against an airline P&L under severe cost pressure, on his own account.
The two interviews also show the limit of the argument. Kirby describes Starlink as a significant revenue opportunity, according to Mint, while telling Yahoo Finance that the cost shock running through the industry is bigger than anything a Wi-Fi upgrade can offset.
What Kirby said about passengers switching
Kirby said United already sees customers moving from other airlines because of Starlink, Mint reported. Pressed on whether the airline could quantify that, he conceded the evidence was largely anecdotal and instead pointed to the response to United’s frequent-flyer status match programme, which targets customers of competing carriers.
He also argued that United’s geography helps. Mint reported Kirby saying the airline operates in highly competitive markets including Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, where travellers split their flying between carriers — unlike airports dominated by a single airline — giving United a pool of passengers to win over.
In its 20 October earnings announcement, quoted by Mint, United said it was winning new, brand-loyal customers through Starlink and retaining them through its mobile app, onboard services and other technology investments.
The fuel problem behind the Wi-Fi story
The Yahoo Finance interview is almost entirely about costs. Kirby said United’s fuel bill is up $8 billion this year and that the airline will be solidly profitable but will not match last year, which he called its best year in history at $5 billion. He added that the cost of major US airports is up 70% from pre-COVID levels.
Mint’s account supplies the quarterly detail: United’s third-quarter fuel expenses rose 62% year-on-year, and the company expects to pay an average of $4.80 per gallon in the fourth quarter.
Kirby told Yahoo Finance he has thought since mid-March that fuel will stay high and that nothing has changed his mind. He said six of 10 US airlines will lose money this year, that fares are up close to 20% while still being lower in real terms than in 2019, and that “managing with hope as a strategy” has already put one airline under this year. He named Spirit as an example of a carrier that kept flying loss-making routes, and said his own rule is not to fly places that lose money, noting he has closed three hubs in his career.
Consolidation and JFK
Asked whether United would buy distressed competitors, Kirby said the airline tried a deal earlier this year, that opportunities exist but are not necessary, and that he is “much, much more interested in buying assets” than buying airlines, per Yahoo Finance. He said United will be back at New York’s JFK next year organically and wants more slots there, and praised Southwest chief executive Bob Jordan for managing that carrier’s strategy shift.
Background: the rollout and the rivals
The 50% milestone Kirby described covers United flights including regional services, Mint reported, and the airline’s own figures put the installed base above 640 aircraft with daily fitting continuing. Where United’s programme sits against competing satellite choices is tracked separately in Delta Picks Amazon Leo as United’s Starlink Passes Half.
Other carriers have announced Starlink intentions without firm dates or terms, as set out in Frontier Says Starlink Wi-Fi Coming, No Date or Price. Neither source for this story addresses availability, pricing or licensing of Starlink’s aviation service in Africa, and nothing in them speaks to the service on routes serving the region.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do United passengers pay extra for Starlink Wi-Fi?
No. According to the Mint report, the Starlink service is available free of charge to members of United’s MileagePlus loyalty programme, across all classes of travel.
How many people have actually used Starlink on United flights?
United said more than 5.4 million passengers experienced Starlink connectivity on its flights in September, as reported by Mint. The airline did not break that figure down by route or aircraft type in the material cited.
What evidence did Kirby give that passengers are switching to United?
Kirby told CNBC the evidence is “mostly anecdotal today,” per Mint, but pointed to United’s recent frequent-flyer status match programme, which drew about four times the applications of a normal status match. He said roughly a quarter of applicants had either obtained or applied for a United credit card, which he read as intent to stay with the airline.
Has United measured whether customers prefer Starlink to its older Wi-Fi?
Yes. In its 20 October earnings announcement, quoted by Mint, United said customer service scores on Starlink-equipped aircraft were nearly twice those recorded on planes offering other Wi-Fi services.
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