Qatar Airways has launched its first Boeing 777 aircraft with Starlink internet, a breakthrough in in-flight wi-fi commemorated via a special onboard phone call with Elon Musk.
Qatar Airways Debuts Starlink On 777 With Elon Musk Phone Call
On October 22, 2024, Qatar Airways became the first carrier to offer a commercial flight on a Boeing 777 aircraft equipped with Starlink. The 777-300ER flew from Doha (DOH) to London (LHR).
Starlink is a satellite internet service that provides high-speed broadband internet to remote and rural areas using a low Earth orbit, here an airplane traveling at 35,000 feet. It’s a division of SpaceX, a private spaceflight company founded by Elon Musk.
The 777 represents the largest aircraft equipped with Starlink. Qatar Airways plans to retrofit its entire 777 fleet with Starlink by mid-2025, with 12 777-300s by the end of 2024. By the summer of 2025, the rollout will expand to Qatar’s Airbus A350 fleet.
To commemorate the special event, Qatar Airways CEO Badr Mohammed Al Meer conducted a FaceTime call with Elon Musk while onboard the flight. Musk was at his California residence and added:
“This is the minimum, and it only gets better from here.”
The new technology will not only give every passenger complimentary wi-fi onboard with download speeds of up to 350 Mbps but also allow in-flight wi-fi calling through services like FaceTime, Teams, and Zoom. We’ll discuss that separately later today.
Other Starlink operators include Air Baltic and Hawaiian Airlines, with United Airlines set to launch Starlink service in 2025.
image: Qatar Airways
First to say Elon looks like Matt in that picture.
Oh no.
Promoting in-flight video calls. Yeah, exactly what we’ve all been hoping for.
@Scott … +1 . Yep , nightmares for other passengers .
I missed the memo… what’s the big deal about using Starlink?
Thanks
The big deal is : If you call Elon , you might win 1M .
It’s just faster and more reliable than competitors. But I’m not for Zoom and Facetime calls. I’ve done a Zoome meeting before on JSX flights, but I’m not talking and I have airpods on. It would be different if everyone around you is actively talking and or course there will be the assclowns that won’t even use headphones.
Small correction, Matt: it’s not the Qatar A340 fleet (lol!), but the A350 fleet. Your typos are often endearing but this one is a little too nostalgic!
lol. I’ve flown it!
https://liveandletsfly.com/qatar-airways-a340-business-class-review/