Hanjin’s five airlines to install Starlink for in-flight Wi-Fi
Korean Air said Friday that Hanjin Group’s five airlines — Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, Air Busan and Air Seoul — will install SpaceX’s satellite internet service Starlink for in-flight Wi-Fi.
As Korea’s first airlines to introduce Starlink for in-flight Wi-Fi services, Hanjin said the move is aimed at offering a next-level travel experience to passengers before the merger between Korean Air and Asiana Airlines and the unification of the other three low-cost carriers: Jin Air, Air Busan and Air Seoul.
Korean Air noted that Starlink’s fast internet connection, which is based on over 8,000 low-orbit satellites transmitting data at the speed of up to 500 megabits per second, is expected to greatly enhance convenience for in-flight online activities, allowing faster large data transfers.
Regarding the price of the Starlink service for passengers, Korean Air said the airlines are reviewing policies at the moment with no decision yet made. The airlines will begin preparing installation and testing the service from the end of this year with a plan to officially offer the new in-flight Wi-Fi in the third quarter of next year.
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines will first install the Starlink Wi-Fi on long-haul aircraft — the Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A350-900 — with full fleetwide deployment in phases targeted for the end of 2027, following the merger. Jin Air will start installing the new in-flight internet service on the Boeing 737-8 while Air Busan and Air Seoul are evaluating which aircraft types will receive the system first.
“With this in-flight internet innovation, passengers flying on both our (full-service carrier and low-cost carrier) brands will be able to experience fast and seamless connectivity in the sky,” said a Korean Air official said.
“As Korea’s national flagship carrier and a global airline, we will continue making bold investments to enhance customer service.”
Major global airlines such as Air France, United Airlines and Emirates have already begun using Starlink for their in-flight Wi-Fi services.
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