Skift Travel News Blog

Qatar Airways has announced a new collaboration with SpaceX’s Starlink, which will see the carrier introduce complimentary high-speed internet connectivity onboard specific aircraft and routes. 

The new initiative, which is currently in the pre-launch phase, will allow passengers to enjoy Wi-Fi speeds of up to 350 Megabits per second, allowing internet-based services such as video streaming, gaming and enriched web-browsing with one-click access.

“Qatar Airways is proud to announce its agreement with Starlink to provide seamless and complimentary Wi-Fi to its global passengers. This exciting collaboration is not only in line with our industry-leading approach to technological adoption, but also serves as an unmissable opportunity to connect Starlink to our global passengers. We look forward to our passengers benefitting from this state-of-the-art addition to Qatar Airways’ in-flight experience,” said His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, group chief executive, Qatar Airways.

Qatar Airways is not the first airline to partner with Starlink, with the technology also being implemented by JSX, Hawaiian Airlines, airBaltic, and ZIPAIR. We also previously reported that P&O Cruises and Cunard will roll out the service.

P&O Cruises and Cunard have announced the rollout of SpaceX’s Starlink across its fleet in order to improve on-board Wi-Fi connectivity and bandwidth.

The new technology from Starlink has been introduced to provide guests with a greater bandwidth capacity across P&O Cruises and Cunard ships, which facilitate the sharing of photos and videos, the ability to use streaming services and enjoying other on board content at higher speeds.

According to a release from Carnival Corporation, the service will be available in both public spaces and cabins on the Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth – which are operated by Cunard – by the end of 2023. Queen Anne, which is Cunard’s newest ship, will launch with the service in May 2024. 

Britannia and Azura, which are operated by P&O Cruises, have already introduced Starlink to the public spaces on board. The service will be available in both public spaces and cabins on Arvia, Iona, Ventura, Arcadia and Aurora by the end of 2023.

“Sharing unforgettable moments with friends and family back at home is an important part of any holiday. Whether it’s uploading a picture of a sunset as you sail away from a newly discovered destination or catching up with the news, live events or content from home, Starlink will make it even easier for our guests and colleagues to stay connected,” said Paul Ludlow, president at Carnival UK and P&O Cruises.