International Airlines Group (IAG) has announced a partnership with Starlink to equip more than 500 aircraft across its airlines with high-speed satellite Wi-Fi starting in early 2026. The rollout will cover both short-haul and long-haul fleets, making IAG the European airline group with the largest number of aircraft offering high-speed in-flight connectivity.
The agreement includes aircraft operated by Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, LEVEL, and Vueling. The service will provide passengers with download and upload speeds comparable to home broadband, enabling video streaming, online gaming, and cloud-based work with minimal latency.
According to IAG, the implementation will apply to all active aircraft not scheduled for near-term retirement. The group had a fleet of 601 aircraft as of December 2024.
“Staying connected in the skies is increasingly important to our airlines’ customers,” said Luis Gallego, CEO of IAG. “The introduction of high-speed Wi-Fi from Starlink will transform onboard connectivity, improving both the connection speed and reliability for customers. Customers from all IAG airlines will be able to benefit from the service from next year.”
Starlink’s technology, developed by SpaceX, currently offers download speeds between 150 and 450 Mbps and upload speeds from 20 to 70 Mbps, significantly exceeding most existing in-flight systems.
The new connectivity initiative is part of IAG’s broader innovation and digital transformation strategy, which includes the use of artificial intelligence to optimize engine maintenance and the IAGi venturing fund to support aviation-related startups.
Once the rollout is complete, IAG expects to lead Europe in high-speed in-flight connectivity coverage.
