American Airlines Reportedly Planning To Expand Starlink Rollout To Entire Mainline Fleet

Published Oct 2, 2026, 1:20 PM EDT Journalist – Aaron is an aviation and travel journalist with 14 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. His background spans airport operations, aviation infrastructure, and travel consulting, having worked with global organizations across New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Combining industry expertise with firsthand travel experience across more than 52 countries and five continents, Aaron covers airlines, airports, aviation policy, and the wider travel sector. He is based in Canterbury, New Zealand. His work has been published in Simple Flying and featured by MSN, SAM CHUI Aviation & Travel, EIN News, Pakistan Defence, and Climate Depot. Fort Worth-based American Airlines reportedly has plans to roll out Starlink onboard WiFi connectivity to its mainline fleet, including the Boeing 737, 777, and 787 Dreamliner. This is a big move by the oneworld carrier, which will expand its onboard offering beyond the Airbus fleet. According to View From The Wing, this will fix one of the carrier's biggest weaknesses, as it continues its push to improve the onboard experience. Aviation Insider JonNYC first reported the development on Thursday. It is believed that American is planning to install Starlink WiFi connectivity on its Boeing family of aircraft – making Starlink available across the airline's mainline fleet; however the news has not been confirmed by the airline. Earlier this year, American announced it would be installing the service on the Airbus family of planes, leaving Boeing in the dark. The carrier's move to add Starlink could put it ahead of Delta, which has otherwise opted for Amazon Leo, launching in 2028. Starlink Connectivity To Be Added To American Airlines Boeing Aircraft Credit: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock Onboard connectivity is now widely expected when traveling on mainline carriers. For American, the plan to add Starlink to Boeing aircraft will let travelers stay connected with friends and family, or finish last-minute work emails while traveling. These changes will see the disbandment of the older domestic satellite service run by Panasonic, with Starlink's satellite service offering a stronger connection and faster response times. This is partly because Starlink satellites are closer to Earth, meaning the signal has less distance to travel. For American, this change is welcome news, as the airline continues to improve the onboard customer experience, despite being the only US legacy carrier without seatback entertainment at every seat. Something it's looking to change. Starlink WiFi Coming To American Airlines in 2027 Credit: American Airlines Earlier this year, American announced plans to add Starlink to its aircraft; this included only the A320 family. This decision to add the product to one type left the Boeing variants with older domestic satellite connectivity. American's latest move, which would add Starlink to the remaining Boeing family of planes, suggests the airline plans to push ahead of other major competitors. For Atlanta-based Delta, the airline decided not to install Starlink connectivity onboard, instead partnering with Amazon Leo. This is planned to launch in 2028, and Delta has committed to installing it on part of the fleet. American investing in Starlink across its fleet would be the biggest move the airline could make and, from a passenger-experience standpoint, would give it a strong unique selling point for those who need onboard connectivity while traveling. Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellites Starlink satellites are closer to Earth; signal travel time is around 20 milliseconds. Aero Terminal / Antenna Electronic phased-array antenna on the aircraft exterior, which beams to moving satellites without physical moving parts. Laser Mesh Backhaul Starlink uses laser links to pass data between vehicles before routing back to an Earth gateway. Cabin Distribution Inside the plane, it operates like a local WiFi network. Elliot Aviation This news would let American expand the Starlink offering beyond the 500 A320 family of planes, adding it to the 737-800, MAX 8, 777-200ER, -300ER, and 787-8 and -9, giving it a competitive edge against other major US carriers as the race for connectivity continues. What Are The Benefits Of Onboard WiFi Credit: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock Onboard WiFi provides travelers and crew continuous internet connectivity during travel. For passengers, this lets them send emails and access cloud-based documents even when traveling across oceans or remote areas. This allows passengers to stay in contact with friends and family, or colleagues via messaging apps. Additionally, this provides on-demand entertainment, such as access to live sports games or social media, which can help pass the time on long-haul international or domestic flights. For the crew, this also has additional benefits, allowing crew members and pilots access to real-time weather updates and changes to flight plans. One of American's competitors, United Airlines, already has a fleetwide Starlink rollout underway, and it is currently available on a portion of its mainline and regional aircraft. Access is free for MileagePlus members. United is aiming to have Starlink across more than 1,000 aircraft by the end of the year.