In September 2024, Air France announced plans to introduce free high speed Wi-Fi throughout its fleet, reinforcing its position as Europe’s most premium global airline (along with all of its other product investments).
Late in the summer of 2025, the SkyTeam carrier started its Starlink rollout. I’d like to take an updated look at how this project is going, because Air France has done a really impressive job rolling this out, and is really showing competitors (especially British Airways) how it’s done.
Air France installing free Starlink Wi-Fi fleetwide
Air France is partnering with SpaceX, to introduce Starlink Wi-Fi throughout its fleet. Best of all, Air France is offering Starlink Wi-Fi for free for all members of its Flying Blue loyalty program (which is free to sign-up for), and members can connect with multiple devices.
Starlink is known for its high speed, low latency broadband internet, and the service is available gate to gate. Starlink allows for live streaming, productivity similar to on the ground (with high upload and download speeds), gaming, e-commerce, and more. I’ve shared my experience with Air France’s Starlink service, and found it to be a complete game changer, particularly on long haul flights.
Starlink is becoming increasingly popular with airlines. So far we’ve seen carriers like American Airlines, Aer Lingus, airBaltic, Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Copa, Emirates, Gulf Air, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, Korean Air, Lufthansa Group, Qatar Airways, SAS, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and WestJet, all announce plans to install the service.
What’s also great about Starlink is that the installation process is pretty quick, once aircraft are certified to have it installed.
Air France making great progress on Starlink rollout
Air France has done a stellar job with the pace at which it has been rolling out Starlink. What impresses me so much is how Air France is concurrently installing Starlink across several fleet type, which sure helps with the pace.
For what it’s worth, Air France hopes to complete rolling out Starlink by the end of 2026. As things currently stand, nearly 60% of aircraft have Starlink installed. So, how does that break down by aircraft type? Here’s a handy resource that shows the progress being made with each type of plane. As of early June 2026, you’ll find Starlink on:
- 28 of 31 Boeing 777-300ERs (90%); notably, all planes with the new La Premiere cabin also have Starlink Wi-Fi
- 45 of 56 Airbus A220-300s (80%)
- 24 of 30 Embraer E190s (80%)
- 30 of 41 Airbus A350-900s (73%)
- Three of 28 Airbus A320s (11%)
As you can see, if you fly an E190, A220, A350, or 777-300ER, you have very good odds of getting Starlink. Meanwhile Starlink is not yet available on any Airbus A321s, Boeing 777-200ERs, Boeing 787-9s, or Embraer E170s. The Airbus A318s, Airbus A319s, and Airbus A330-200s, won’t be getting the service, since they’ll all be retired by the spring of 2027, at the latest.
During the transitional period, Air France continues to offer its existing Wi-Fi plans, which include a free messaging pass for Flying Blue members, plus paid Wi-Fi options for all others, as well as those looking for internet surfing and streaming. Air France La Premiere (first class) and Flying Blue Ultimate customers continue to receive complimentary Wi-Fi during this transition period.
Air France really deserves a lot of credit for the speed at which it’s installing Starlink:
- Currently, Air France is the airline with the second highest total number of planes with Starlink, after United
- In terms of the percent of fleet with Starlink, Air France is only beat by ZIPAIR Tokyo (which has it on its entire fleet of eight 787s), WestJet (which has it on 83% of planes, but also has a smaller and more consistent fleet), and Hawaiian Airlines (which has it on 68% of planes, but has stopped the installation process)
Bottom line
Air France is currently rolling out free Starlink Wi-Fi. The installation process is well underway, with nearly 60% of planes now having Starlink. You can expect to find Starlink on a vast majority of E190s, A220s, A350s, and 777-300ERs, with the remaining fleet expected to get the service by the end of 2026 (aside from the planes being imminently retired).
Given the diversity of Air France’s fleet (and therefore the complexity with installing Starlink), I think the airline deserves massive credit for the pace at which it’s rolling this out. In particular, I think it’s brilliant how Starlink was prioritized on the carrier’s 777s with new cabins, since those operate in the most premium markets.
What do you make of Air France rolling out free Starlink Wi-Fi? Have you experienced it yet?
