American Airlines to Install Starlink on Over 500 Airbus Planes

American Airlines announced Tuesday it will install Starlink service on about 500 of its narrow-body Airbus aircraft starting early next year. The carrier had been evaluating both Starlink and Amazon Leo as recently as March. A company spokesman said there are no immediate plans to replace existing providers on its Boeing fleet, which currently uses a mix of Viasat and Panasonic equipment.

United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines, which merged with Hawaiian Airlines in 2024, have already chosen Starlink for portions of their fleets. Delta Air Lines separately announced in March that it will use Amazon Leo on hundreds of aircraft beginning in 2028.

American rolled out free Wi-Fi for its frequent-flyer members in January, aligning with similar offerings from United, Delta and other carriers.

Airlines are competing for premium passengers by replacing slower, costlier connections with higher-speed internet. Carriers have also explored additional revenue options such as personalized advertising. SpaceX reported that its connectivity unit, which includes Starlink, generated $11.39 billion in revenue last year, accounting for 61 percent of total sales, according to a filing tied to the company's planned initial public offering next month.