International Airlines Group has revealed that Aer Lingus together with British Airways Iberia LEVEL and Vueling will equip more than 500 aircraft with Starlink satellite internet from early 2026.
The low-Earth orbit system will deliver download speeds up to 450 Mbps and upload speeds up to 70 Mbps on short-haul and long-haul routes. All aircraft not scheduled for retirement will receive phased-array antennas with installation timetables varying by carrier.
Passengers on Aer Lingus British Airways Iberia and LEVEL will access the service free of charge in every cabin from gate to gate without login codes. Vueling and Iberia Express plan paid tiers while confirming the hardware upgrade. The rollout displaces existing providers including Viasat Panasonic and the European Aviation Network across the fleets.
First revenue flights enter service in early 2026 with full deployment expected over eighteen to twenty-four months. IAG operates 601 aircraft in total and the agreement positions the group as the largest European operator of Starlink-connected planes.
The technology enables streaming video calls cloud work and online gaming even over oceans or polar routes.
Lynne Embleton shared “Adding Starlink will allow us to offer unprecedented onboard connectivity.”
Luis Gallego shared “Staying connected in the skies is increasingly important to our airlines’ customers.”
Sean Doyle shared “Launching Starlink on both our long-haul and short-haul aircraft will offer seamless connectivity from gate to gate.”
