United Airlines has announced that the FAA has approved Starlink’s Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) amendment for the Boeing 737-800, to include its mainline aircraft fleet. United has completed the installation of Starlink inflight connectivity equipment on the first of its mainline aircraft – a Boeing 737-800 – and expects it will first be available to customers on a flight from Newark Liberty International Airport in New York on 15th October.
This certification comes less than five months since United launched its first Starlink-equipped customer flight, on an Embraer 175 regional aircraft, and less than a year since United signed the agreement with SpaceX for Starlink inflight wi-fi services.
United’s first Starlink-equipped flight was in May 2025, on a regional jet, and the airline now has Starlink installed on more than half of the aircraft in its regional fleet. The airline is installing Starlink on approximately 50 regional jets each month. You can watch the process in THIS VIDEO.
Starlink is continuing to work to secure FAA STCs to install Starlink equipment on every United aircraft type that is due to be fitted with the new equipment – a total of more than 16 regional and mainline aircraft models.
The STC certification process involves the FAA approving the system for each aircraft, in terms of design, installation and testing, to ensure safe and reliable operations. United shared details of the Starlink installation process earlier this year, including the size and weight benefits associated with the equipment, as well as its ease of installation and maintenance.
According to the airline, initial customer scores on its Starlink-equipped flights have seen 90% of customers say they appreciate the ability to stream IFE content onboard via Starlink’s high-speed connection. United’s MileagePlus customers also appreciate that they can use the Starlink service without any cost.
Details of the programme, and other aspects of United Airlines’ huge investments in passenger experience enhancements, can be found in our exclusive interview in the September issue of Aircraft Interiors International.
“Customers are loving the Starlink experience onboard our regional aircraft, and our first Starlink-equipped mainline aircraft will bring a superior inflight experience to even more people,” said Grant Milstead, United’s vice president of digital technology. “We’re working to install Starlink and offer game-changing inflight entertainment experiences like streaming services, shopping, gaming and more.”
Starlink is growing quickly in the inflight connectivity market. Find out why in this blog from Valour Consultancy.
