Hawaiian Airlines debuts free high-speed Starlink internet for passengers

Hawaiian Airlines launched Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency broadband internet onboard one of its Airbus A321neos, N228HA, on a flight from Honolulu to Long Beach, making it the first major carrier in the world to do so.

As the A321neo aircraft are brought online over the next several months, the carrier’s Wi-Fi will be available on a few of them. It is free of charge and accessible as soon as passengers board the aircraft, eliminating the need for lengthy registration forms or complicated payment portals.

Hawaiian’s new in-flight internet connection is fast enough to enable connected activities like gaming, streaming, and other activities that are typically done at home—even when flying across the furthest reaches of the Pacific Ocean.

Hawaiian and Starlink carried out testing, including live flights, to verify optimal performance. These tests assessed connection in various scenarios and pinpointed areas for user experience enhancement.

Hawaiian is implementing the technology throughout its long-haul fleet in collaboration with Starlink. By spring, the airline plans to install and turn on antennas on all eighteen of its A321neo aircraft. By the end of the year, it plans to do the same with its A330s, and then with its new flagship, the Boeing 787-9. The service will astonish and thrill passengers when they board their planes until it is made available to the entire fleet.