Airlines are upgrading Wi-Fi. Not all are using Elon Musk’s Starlink
The world’s richest man has attacked Delta’s top executive for not choosing the Internet provider
Published Sat, Oct 10, 2026 · 01:42 PM
IN-FLIGHT Wi-Fi has long been slow and erratic. But airlines are racing to change that.
Hoping that faster, more reliable Internet access will help them attract and retain customers, many carriers are upgrading their planes to use Starlink, the satellite Internet service operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
On Thursday (Oct 8), American Airlines said that it would outfit more than 1,000 planes with Starlink.
But Delta Air Lines has chosen not to go with the provider, which has upset Musk, SpaceX’s CEO.
Musk said in September that Delta’s CEO would “lose his job” for choosing Amazon’s satellite service; he previously attacked the top executive of Ryanair, a European carrier, for snubbing Starlink, too.
More recently, he said that Indian oligarchs were blocking Starlink there, which he called “a crime against the people of India”.
From fee to free
Lufthansa was the first commercial airline to offer in-flight Internet access in 2004, using a service developed by Boeing. But Boeing shut down the project just two years later.
Other providers filled the void, and US airlines started to offer Wi-Fi in the late 2000s. But few passengers used those services, which were often expensive, slow and unreliable. Over the years, the costs started to fall.
In 2023, Delta eliminated Wi-Fi fees for members of the company’s loyalty programme. JetBlue Airways had been offering free Internet access for years – but Delta kicked off an industry shift.
Why is Wi-Fi so important?
Many airlines offer free Internet service to passengers who sign up for frequent flyer programmes. The programmes allow the companies to collect more information about travellers and to encourage them to buy more tickets and sign up for credit cards.
At an industry conference last month, Robert Isom, CEO of American, said the airline was expanding its loyalty programme at record rates. “A lot of that is driven by the free Wi-Fi,” he said.
Executives have also said that they are switching to Starlink because the earlier Internet services they offered were subpar. Executives at Alaska Airlines earlier this year said customer satisfaction was about 20 per cent higher on flights with Starlink.
But some industry experts say that most travellers pick airlines for many reasons, and Wi-Fi is not the most important one.
“People who are going to fly a lot in the future are going to self-select and gradually find the right programme that fits best for them,” said Jay Sorensen, who runs IdeaWorksCompany, an aviation industry consulting firm. “You can’t really create that.”
That doesn’t mean Wi-Fi is irrelevant. Like soft drinks and snacks, Internet access has become an expectation among passengers, Sorensen said.
Why is Musk feuding with Delta?
Most major US airlines upgrading to high-speed Wi-Fi are going with Starlink, whose satellites orbit closer to Earth than older satellites.
American, Alaska, United and Southwest Airlines have selected Starlink. But Delta, the most profitable US airline, and JetBlue have chosen Amazon Leo, a satellite service that is not yet available.
After Delta announced the partnership this year, Musk said the airline “wanted to make it painful, difficult and expensive for their customers”.
Then, he said Delta’s CEO Ed Bastian had made an error that could cost him his position. Musk was responding to an unverified report that Bastian had said it was not wise to work with Musk.
In an interview with The New York Times, Bastian disputed that report.
“I wouldn’t say that in a public setting or a private setting,” he said. “What we said is that we’re not working with Starlink because we decided to go a different direction.”
On Friday, Delta reported US$20.2 billion in revenue for the three months ended Sep 30, a company record.
SpaceX and Amazon did not respond to requests for comment.
This isn’t the first time Musk has criticised executives, politicians and others he disagrees with. In addition to Bastian, his targets have included Jeff Bezos, executive chair of Amazon, and Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary.
Delta’s decision to use Leo could be risky. While other airlines have already begun offering Starlink service on some flights, Delta will not begin installing Amazon’s service until 2028.
That doesn’t mean Delta is not making upgrades, Bastian said. One of the airline’s current Internet providers, Viasat, recently launched two new satellites that will “change the game for our customers”, he said.
Bastian has said that Delta chose Amazon because it will cost the airline less than Starlink, and because the airline hopes to provide customers other perks from Amazon.
Delta has been profitable in recent years partly because customers like its credit cards, lounges and partnerships with other companies. For example, Delta’s customers can earn miles by buying coffee at Starbucks and hailing rides on Uber.
“We’ll be working very closely with them to bring new experiences to customers,” he said of Amazon. “It’s not just about the Wi-Fi; it’s what you do with the Wi-Fi.” NYTIMES
