Qatar Airways Becomes First Airline to Operate Starlink-Equipped Boeing 787-9
Qatar Airways has reached a new milestone in the commercial aviation industry by becoming the first airline worldwide to operate Boeing 787-9 aircraft equipped with Starlink’s high-speed satellite connectivity service. With this development, the Qatari carrier consolidates the world’s largest widebody fleet fitted with this technology, reaching a total of 150 connected aircraft.
The company also confirmed the completion of the Starlink rollout across its entire Boeing 787-8 fleet in just seven months. Following this progress, Qatar Airways remains on track with its strategic objective to complete retrofitting its entire Boeing 787 fleet by the end of 2026.
Leadership in Widebody Satellite Connectivity Integration
This achievement within the Boeing 787 family continues the rapid execution of the airline’s previous retrofit programs. Qatar Airways completed the installation across its Boeing 777 fleet in a record-breaking nine months, followed by the Airbus A350 program, which wrapped up in eight months. As a result of these deployments, the airline currently operates the world’s first and largest fleets of Starlink-equipped Boeing 777, Airbus A350, and Boeing 787 aircraft.
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To date, Qatar Airways’ widebody Starlink installation program—considered the fastest and most ambitious in aviation history—has passed the 83% global completion mark. The airline currently operates up to 323 daily flights equipped with the service.
Ultra-High-Speed Inflight Experience and Global Coverage
Since launching Starlink-powered inflight connectivity in October 2024, more than 23 million passengers have connected to the service across more than 86,000 flights.
The service delivers the following key specifications and passenger experience features:
- Connection Speeds: Bandwidth of up to 500 Megabits per second (Mbps) at a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet.
- Access Model: Complimentary gate-to-gate Wi-Fi.
- Network Scope: Coverage on long-haul and ultra-long-haul routes across six continents, connecting passengers on sectors to the Americas and Australasia, as well as key hubs in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
By scaling this connectivity to an unprecedented level in the widebody segment, the airline aims to provide travelers with the ability to work, communicate, or stream seamlessly during flight without digital interruptions.
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