Qatar Airways has become the first airline in the world to operate Starlink-equipped Boeing 787-9 aircraft, the carrier said in a statement, and it also completed the Starlink rollout across its Boeing 787-8 sub-fleet in seven months.

The additions bring the total number of the airline's Starlink-equipped widebody aircraft to 150, making Qatar Airways the operator of the world's first and largest Starlink-equipped widebody fleet, according to the statement. The carrier said it remains on track to complete the Starlink rollout across its entire Boeing 787 fleet by the end of 2026.

The milestone builds on Qatar Airways' earlier completion of Starlink installations across its Boeing 777 fleet in nine months and its Airbus A350 fleet in eight months, the airline said. It now operates the world's first and largest Starlink-equipped Boeing 777, Airbus A350, and Boeing 787 fleets.

Qatar Airways said it was the first airline to offer Starlink onboard long-haul and ultra-long-haul routes globally across six continents, with free, gate-to-gate Starlink Wi-Fi now available on a growing number of routes to the Americas, Australasia, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, subject to local regulatory requirements at certain airports.

Since launching Starlink connectivity in October 2024, more than 23 million passengers have connected to the service across over 86,000 Qatar Airways flights, the airline said. Starlink Wi-Fi offers speeds of up to 500 Mbps, according to the statement.

The airline described its installation programme for Starlink on widebody aircraft as the fastest and most ambitious in aviation history, saying it has now surpassed 83 percent completion, with up to 323 Starlink-equipped flights operating daily.

Source: PR