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Qatar Airways Launches the World’s First Boeing 777 Starlink-Equipped Flight


Qatar Airlines soars ahead of its competitors with ambitious plans to roll out Starlink’s reliable, high-speed, low-latency internet across its entire Boeing 777 fleet within a year. Passengers can now stay entertained and connected throughout their journey, streaming their favourite shows and live sports, enjoying online gaming, or working seamlessly at 35,000 feet – all completely free of charge.

This milestone establishes Qatar Airways as an industry leader in bringing advanced technology on board. The airline is the largest and first carrier in the MENA region to offer passengers Starlink ultra-high-speed, low-latency internet. Starlink is free to all passengers and operates from gate to gate.

Qatar's national airline is poised to surpass its original goal of equipping three aircraft with Starlink technology by upgrading 12 Boeing 777-300s with this cutting-edge service by the end of 2024. Additionally, Qatar Airways has pledged to implement this technology across its entire Boeing 777 fleet in 2025, a year earlier than planned, with the Airbus A350 fleet to follow in the summer of 2025.

This significant move highlights Qatar Airways’ commitment to bridging the gap between the skies and the ground by offering ultra-high-speed, low-latency internet.

Engineered by SpaceX, Starlink is the world's first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit that will provide passengers reliable, high-speed internet so they can stay connected with friends and family, stream their favourite entertainment, watch live sports, play online games, or work efficiently at 35,000 feet – all for free and with a simple ‘one-click-access’.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “We are thrilled to launch our first Starlink-equipped flight, proving once again why Qatar Airways is at the forefront of the aviation industry. This milestone, paired with our commitment to rapidly roll out Starlink across our entire modern fleet, demonstrates our relentless pursuit of offering passengers an in-flight experience that transcends the constraints of traditional air travel. By providing Starlink reliable, seamless internet on board, we are connecting people to the things they love the most even at 35,000 feet, making every journey with us a memorable one.”

Leveraging advanced satellites with its deep experience with both spacecraft and on-orbit operations, Starlink delivers internet access around the world, including over oceans and other remote locations previously unreachable by traditional cell or Wi-Fi signals. “Overtime you'll find it just gets better and better. This is the minimum and it only gets better from here,” said SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. 

With the launch of its first Starlink-equipped flight, Qatar Airways has achieved several industry-firsts, including:

  • World’s first Starlink-equipped Boeing Widebody 777

  • First Starlink on Qatar Airways passenger aircraft

  • First Starlink-equipped passenger aircraft in the MENA region

  • First Starlink Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for a Boeing aircraft

  • Largest passenger aircraft equipped with StarlinkLongest range Starlink equipped passenger aircraft 


Being the inaugural service of its kind in the MENA region, the partnership with Starlink, the largest satellite internet network created and managed by SpaceX, represents a significant achievement for the national carrier of the State of Qatar. This strategic move will enhance the airline's exceptional in-flight services.

 

Starlink delivers high-speed, low-latency internet to users all over the world. As the world's first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit, Starlink delivers broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls and more. Starlink is engineered and operated by SpaceX. As the world’s leading provider of launch services, SpaceX is leveraging its deep experience with both spacecraft and on-orbit operations to deploy the world’s most advanced broadband internet system.

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