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Qatar Airways has reached 150 Starlink-equipped widebody aircraft in its fleet, a milestone that includes what the airline claims is the first Starlink-equipped Boeing 787-9 in commercial operation globally.
The carrier has also completed the Starlink rollout across its Boeing 787-8 sub-fleet, a process that took seven months. The airline is now on track to complete installation across its full Boeing 787 fleet by the end of 2026.
A rolling installation programme
The 787-9 installation follows the completion of Starlink fitouts across Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777 fleet, which took nine months, and its Airbus A350 fleet, which was completed in eight months.
The airline now operates Starlink-equipped Boeing 777, Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 fleets, with the broader installation programme across its widebody fleet now more than 83 per cent complete.
At current rates, up to 323 Starlink-equipped flights are operating daily across the airline’s network.
Connectivity speeds and passenger access
The Starlink service provides Wi-Fi speeds of up to 500 Mbps onboard, available gate-to-gate on equipped aircraft. The service is offered free of charge to passengers through Privilege Club membership authentication or enrolment.
Gate-to-gate access may be unavailable at certain airports due to local regulatory requirements, and aircraft assignments remain subject to change based on operational needs.
Since the airline began offering Starlink connectivity in October 2024, more than 23 million passengers have connected to the service across more than 86,000 flights.
Network coverage
Qatar Airways was the first airline to offer Starlink on long-haul and ultra-long-haul routes across six continents. Equipped flights now serve routes to the Americas and Australasia, as well as gateways across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
The rollout is part of a broader push by the airline to make onboard connectivity a standard feature of its passenger experience rather than a premium add-on. The service is designed to allow passengers to work, communicate or stream content during flights in a manner comparable to ground-based internet use.
Industry context
The scale of Qatar Airways’ Starlink installation programme is notable within the aviation industry, where in-flight connectivity has historically been constrained by limited bandwidth and high costs. SpaceX’s Starlink low-earth-orbit satellite network has emerged as a competitor to traditional aviation connectivity providers by offering higher throughput at lower latency.
Several other carriers have announced or begun Starlink trials, but Qatar Airways’ programme remains among the largest by fleet count for widebody aircraft. The airline’s approach of offering the service at no additional cost to passengers through its loyalty programme also distinguishes it from carriers that charge for onboard Wi-Fi access.
The completion of the full Boeing 787 fleet installation by the end of 2026 would bring Qatar Airways closer to offering Starlink as a consistent feature across its widebody operations rather than a service available only on select routes or aircraft types.
Last Updated on August 26, 2026 by Nick Ross
