United Airlines Suspends Starlink Service Amid Interference Issues

United Airlines has temporarily paused its Starlink broadband service on much of its regional fleet due to technical challenges. The pause comes just months after the airline began rolling out the satellite broadband service in May, marking a significant step toward modernizing its connectivity options for passengers.

The airline had ambitious plans to retrofit its entire regional fleet with Starlink connectivity, aiming to complete the installation across its two-cabin Embraer E175 jets by the end of 2025. United was among the select carriers, including Hawaiian Airlines and JSX, to offer passengers SpaceX’s high-speed satellite internet service, which had received positive reviews, particularly from PCMag for its speed and performance.

However, United temporarily turned off Starlink on nearly two dozen of its regional jets due to technical interference. The problem is related to static interference between the Starlink antennas and the communication antennas used by pilots to interact with air traffic control. The interference has led to disruptions, although United assured that this issue does not pose a safety risk.

In a statement, the airline acknowledged that such radio interference is “fairly common with any new airline Wi-Fi provider.” The airline further stated that it expects Starlink service to be restored soon on these aircraft, with fixes already implemented on a third of the impacted planes. United confirmed that it does not anticipate flight cancellations due to the issue and plans to address the problem during scheduled aircraft maintenance.

While Starlink may be unavailable on some flights for now, United has introduced other entertainment options to keep passengers engaged. The airline recently partnered with Spotify, integrating the streaming audio service into the in-flight entertainment systems of over 680 aircraft. Passengers can now enjoy curated playlists from Spotify, replacing the previous “Audio” menu option.

As United works to resolve the technical issues, passengers can expect more entertainment options as the airline continues its efforts to enhance in-flight connectivity.


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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, pcmag.com