In early 2025, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) announced plans to introduce free Starlink Wi-Fi. There’s now an exciting update, as roughly 14 months later, rollout of the service has finally started.
Scandinavian Airlines starts offering free Starlink Wi-Fi
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is partnering with SpaceX to introduce Starlink Wi-Fi throughout its fleet. Best of all, SAS is offering Starlink Wi-Fi for free for all members of its EuroBonus 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 offered gate to gate. Starlink Wi-Fi allows for live streaming, productivity similar to on the ground (with high upload and download speeds), gaming, e-commerce, and more.
Starlink is becoming increasingly popular with airlines. So far we’ve seen carriers like airBaltic, Air France, Air New Zealand, British Airways, 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. I recently had my first flight with Starlink, and was very impressed. Here’s how SAS’ Chief Commercial Officer Paul Verhagen describes this:
“Connectivity has become a natural part of everyday life, including when travelling. With this launch, we are taking a major step toward offering our customers a more flexible, productive and enjoyable time on board. Whether they want to work, create, play or stay in touch, this solution brings the onboard experience closer to how people live today”
Scandinavian Airlines’ Starlink Wi-Fi rollout plan
When SAS first announced plans to introduce Starlink Wi-Fi, the airline indicated that a phased installation would start in late 2025. In January 2026, the airline had a successful demo flight with Starlink, but the service hasn’t been switched on since then, and widespread installation hasn’t started… until now.
SAS is now starting rollout of Starlink, with Airbus A320neo aircraft being the first to get the service. While SAS is stopping short of providing an exact timeline, the airline claims it “expects a substantial share of the fleet to be connected before the summer season.” However, that seems to be specifically focused on A320neos, which makes up around two-thirds of the carrier’s fleet.
Installation on more aircraft types, including wide body planes, is expected later this year, subject to regulatory approval. So if you’re flying SAS in the coming months on an A320neo, don’t be surprised if your flight has Starlink. However, I wouldn’t expect Starlink to be available on all aircraft until some point in 2027.
Bottom line
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has started the process of installing Starlink Wi-Fi, which is free for EuroBonus members. This is progressively being rolled out now, starting with Airbus A320neo aircraft. A good number of A320neos should have this service by summer, and later this year, we can expect Starlink to be installed on more aircraft.
It’s awesome to see that free high speed Wi-Fi is increasingly becoming an industry standard, and I look forward to using this service.
What do you make of SAS introducing free Starlink Wi-Fi?
