United Airlines Will Operate Its First Mainline Flight With Starlink WiFi Tomorrow

United Airlines is preparing to take its next steps into the future with the operation of its first passenger-carrying flight offering Starlink WiFi. The Star Alliance founding member has chosen a service from Newark to Houston tomorrow morning, with a special flight number, to debut the technology.

This won’t just represent the first Starlink-equipped mainline flight at United Airlines, but, in fact, it will be “the first time a major US airline has offered Starlink Wi-Fi on a mainline flight with connectivity across both personal devices and in-flight entertainment screens.” The carrier has made a considerable commitment to the technology, and will eventually have installed almost 3,000 antennas across its entire fleet.

The First Flight

United Airlines operates several daily departures from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Houston Intercontinental (IAH), with these being two of its main US hubs. The third of these departs at 08:00, and is numbered as UA686. Tomorrow, however, while this service will run as normal, it will instead bear the flight number UA2940, and be the carrier’s first to offer Starlink WiFi to its passengers.

It has chosen this flight number as 2,940 is the number of antennas that it plans to fit to its aircraft in order to spread coverage throughout its fleet. A Boeing 737-800 will operate tomorrow’s debut flight, with United planning to install Starlink on 15 of these jets every month, as well as certifying a new aircraft type for the technology by the end of the year. David Kinzelman, United’s Chief Customer Officer, said that:

“We’re committed to raising the bar. (…) Whether it’s catching a live game, streaming an award show, or working, United customers won’t miss a beat when they’re onboard a Starlink-equipped flight.”

It is important to note that tomorrow’s debut will be United’s first mainline flight with Starlink, as the carrier has already begun to roll out the technology on its regional flights. The WiFi debuted under the United Express brand in May 2025, with the Embraer E175 being the first aircraft to get it.

Since then, United Airlines has succeeded in installing Starlink WiFi on more than half of the aircraft that make up its United Express fleet of regional aircraft, with early customer feedback indicating a positive response to the rollout of the technology. Now, passengers on the carrier’s Boeing 737-800 aircraft will also increasingly benefit from the presence of Starlink WiFi, with two antennas fitted to each of these jets.

According to tracking data made available by Flightradar24, the mainline aircraft chosen to debut the technology tomorrow is registered as N77525. Following its flight from Newark to Houston, this WiFi-equipped Boeing 737-800 is rostered to operate a round trip from the Texan hub to and from Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport (FLL) in Florida, with these flights numbered as UA365 and UA445.

Free For Frequent Flyers

With the installation and rollout of Starlink WiFi, United Airlines is also looking to reward its frequent flyers by making the service free of charge for those passengers who belong to its MileagePlus loyalty program. If guests are booked on a flight that is rostered to be flown by an aircraft equipped with this technology, they will be notified in advance of their departure in order to highlight its presence to them.

This high-speed internet offers considerable possibilities to those flying on equipped aircraft, with Kinzelman adding that “when it comes to the onboard experience, and with Starlink, we’re changing how people fly.” For instance, passengers will be able to stream live content, such as sports events.

The Starlink WiFi connection that will be available on certain United Airlines’ Boeing 737-800 jets in the near future will also be fast and strong enough to enable users to play online video games, with those using it for work able to download and upload files in a professional capacity. With the WiFi also strong enough to support online shopping and multiple devices per passenger, the future certainly looks bright!