Thursday, March 28, 2024
AirBaltic, the Latvian airline, has revealed that it has successfully completed an initial trial of SpaceX’s Starlink internet connectivity system aboard its Airbus A220-300 aircraft. The ground test took place at the airline’s headquarters in Riga, with the in-flight connectivity system undergoing examination with a complete cabin filled with both airBaltic and SpaceX’s Starlink personnel.
Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic: “We are excited to lead the way in Europe by offering
high-speed, unlimited, and complimentary inflight connectivity onboard our flights. This first test brings
good insights and moves us closer to enhancing our service for passengers travelling within the
airBaltic network in Europe and beyond.”
“We are grateful to our partners at SpaceX’s Starlink for their unwavering support throughout this
transformative journey. Their shared ambition and dedication perfectly complement airBaltic’s values.
As we operate one of the most modern aircraft types on the market, it was the next logical step for
airBaltic to introduce the cutting-edge Starlink inflight internet solution onboard this fleet,” Martin
Gauss added.
Jason Fritch, VP of Starlink Enterprise Sales: “As Starlink continues to activate high-speed, low-
latency internet on aircraft around the world, we are excited to bring this next-generation experience to
Europe with airBaltic’s A220 fleet.”
Working in collaboration with SpaceX, airBaltic is in the process of obtaining the necessary STC (Supplemental Type Certification) approval and anticipates commencing the installation of SpaceX’s Starlink system on its Airbus A220-300 fleet by the year’s end. The objective is to outfit the entire A220-300 fleet with Starlink inflight connectivity, aiming to furnish each passenger with seamless, high-speed internet access throughout their journey, eliminating the need for cumbersome login procedures. From boarding to landing, internet connectivity will be accessible to all passengers.
Developed by SpaceX, Starlink provides high-speed, low-latency broadband internet services spanning across over 90 countries and territories worldwide. The initiative began catering to commercial aircraft last year, delivering high-speed internet connectivity during flights. Leveraging satellites positioned in low-Earth orbit, notably closer than traditional geostationary satellites, Starlink achieves substantially reduced latency and heightened transmission speeds for users. With the capacity to deliver up to 500 Mbps to aircraft, coupled with latency as low as 20 ms, passengers can now partake in activities previously deemed impractical during flight, such as online gaming, utilizing virtual private networks, and engaging in other high-data-rate tasks.
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
