British Airways passengers will soon enjoy free, high-speed wifi on flights, thanks to a new partnership between its parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG), and Elon Musk’s satellite broadband provider Starlink.
The move will make BA the first major European airline group to offer complimentary inflight connectivity across its network, with speeds comparable to or faster than home broadband.
The service is expected to begin rolling out in 2026, covering IAG’s European and transatlantic routes, including British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus. Passengers flying on the group’s low-cost carriers, Vueling and Iberia Express, will have the option to purchase access.
The group said the agreement would deliver “best-in-class” inflight connectivity for its customers.
“Staying connected in the skies is increasingly important to our airlines’ customers,” said Luis Gallego, chief executive of IAG. “The introduction of high-speed wifi from Starlink will transform onboard connectivity, improving both the connection speed and reliability for customers.”
More than 500 of IAG’s 600 aircraft will be fitted with Starlink antennas, with older planes nearing retirement excluded from the upgrade. The new system will enable passengers to stream video, make calls, and download content as easily as they would on the ground.
According to IAG, Starlink’s service will deliver download speeds between 150 and 450 megabits per second (Mbps), with upload speeds of 20 to 70 Mbps — up to twice as fast as the UK’s average home broadband.
At 150 Mbps, passengers could download an HD film in around five minutes. By comparison, the average UK household broadband speed is about 223 Mbps, according to Ofcom data.
The group said Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellites will provide consistent coverage across air routes, even over oceans, where traditional ground-based systems struggle.
The initiative puts IAG ahead of its European rivals Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, and Ryanair, none of which currently offer comparable connectivity.
While the “big three” US carriers — United, Delta, and American Airlines — already provide satellite-based wifi, the European market has lagged behind due to cost and technical constraints.
With its new partnership, IAG aims to make connectivity a key differentiator in the fiercely competitive transatlantic and short-haul markets.
“This is a major step for IAG,” said aviation analyst Simon Calder. “It puts British Airways on par with US rivals and gives it a strong advantage over budget competitors, especially on European routes where business travellers expect to stay connected.”
For Starlink, part of SpaceX, the deal cements its growing presence in the global aviation market. The company already provides wifi for United Airlines in the US and has been expanding aggressively across the commercial airline sector.
With the rollout expected to complete across IAG’s fleet within 18 months, the partnership marks one of the largest satellite connectivity deals ever signed in European aviation — and a major step toward making seamless inflight internet the industry standard.