Qatar Airways equips 150 widebody aircraft with Starlink

International

Airline introduces the world’s first Starlink-equipped Boeing 787-9 and plans to complete the rollout across its entire 787 fleet by the end of 2026

Qatar Airways has expanded its high-speed inflight connectivity programme to 150 widebody aircraft and has become the first airline to operate a Boeing 787-9 equipped with Starlink. The carrier has also completed installation across its entire Boeing 787-8 sub-fleet, a process that took seven months.

More than half of Qatar Airways’ Boeing 787 fleet is now equipped with the satellite-based internet service. The airline expects to complete the remaining installations across the aircraft type by the end of 2026.

787 joins Boeing 777 and Airbus A350

The latest installations follow earlier Starlink programmes covering Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 fleets. According to the airline, installation across the Boeing 777 programme was completed within nine months, while the A350 programme took eight months.

Qatar Airways now operates Starlink-equipped aircraft across all three major widebody types. Overall, the airline says its widebody installation programme has passed the 83% completion mark.

The rollout is being conducted while the aircraft remain part of an active global operation, progressively increasing the number of routes on which passengers have access to the service.

More than 23 million passengers have used Starlink

Qatar Airways introduced Starlink connectivity in October 2024. Since then, more than 23 million passengers have connected to the service aboard over 86,000 flights, according to the airline.

Up to 323 Starlink-equipped Qatar Airways flights are now operating per day. The system offers Wi-Fi speeds of up to 500 Mbps, allowing passengers to use applications and online services that traditionally required much faster connections than conventional inflight internet could provide.

Connectivity is offered free of charge through Privilege Club membership authentication or enrolment. Gate-to-gate availability is possible on many journeys, although local regulations at individual airports can restrict access during parts of the flight.

Long-haul connectivity across six continents

The airline is deploying Starlink particularly extensively across its long-haul and ultra-long-haul network. Equipped aircraft operate services linking Doha with destinations across six continents, including routes to the Americas and Australasia as well as major gateways in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Aircraft assignments can change for operational reasons, meaning Starlink availability cannot necessarily be guaranteed for every individual departure on an equipped route.

For Qatar Airways, the programme represents a shift towards making broadband-level connectivity a standard feature of long-distance flying rather than an additional service available only on selected aircraft. With the Boeing 787 rollout due for completion before the end of the year, the proportion of the airline’s long-haul network offering the service is set to increase further.