IAG airlines, including British Airways, to provide Starlink-powered WiFi from 2026
IAG said that retrofit plans will be different among its airlines.
International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of British Airways, Iberia, and others, has announced that starting next year, it will begin providing free and fast WiFi that will be powered by Starlink’s services.
On November 6, 2025, IAG confirmed that it had signed an agreement with Starlink, which will enable the group to provide high-speed WiFi starting in 2026.
IAG detailed that Starlink will be deployed across the fleets of Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, LEVEL, and Vueling.
In its own statement, British Airways said that its passengers “will soon benefit from Starlink connectivity,” with the British carrier rolling out the internet solution starting in 2026. Once fully retrofitted on its fleet, all British Airways customers will have free access without having to log in.
In Europe, airBaltic, Air France, SAS, and Virgin Atlantic have been rolling out or will be rolling out Starlink-powered WiFi to their customers. This does not include other European airlines that have chosen other in-flight connectivity (IFC) solutions to enable high-speed WiFi on their flights.
Virgin Atlantic, arguably British Airways’ largest competitor in the United Kingdom, announced its partnership with Starlink in July 2025, promising to retrofit its widebody aircraft-only fleet between Q3 2026 and 2027.
However, while British Airways said that Starlink will be online on all mainline and BA Euroflyer flights once the service is rolled out, it did not provide a self-imposed deadline.
IAG said that as of December 31, 2024, the group’s airlines had 601 aircraft, and the aiframes not due for near-term retirement will be retrofitted with Starlink.
“Implementation plans will vary by airline and will be communicated as the rollout plan is finalised.”
Rytis Beresnevicius
Sean Doyle, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of British Airways, said that the addition of Starlink is a major milestone in the airline’s transformation plan.
“Launching Starlink on both our long-haul and short-haul aircraft is game-changing for us and our customers, elevating their experience on board our flights by offering them seamless connectivity from gate-to-gate.”
British Airways highlighted that Starlink is part of its £7 billion ($9.1 billion) transformation plan, which has “driven vast improvements across the customer experience since it was announced in 2024.” This includes the delivery of 36 new aircraft since 2023, with the British airline teasing a new First class suite for widebodies, more new aircraft in 2026, and a brand-new mobile application in 2026.
Iberia pretty much echoed British Airways’ statement, noting that IAG’s agreement with Starlink reinforced the group’s commitment to innovation and technology, key pillars of the Spanish airline’s €6 billion ($6.9 billion) ‘Flight Plan 2030' strategy.
Luis Gallego, the CEO of IAG, recognized that staying online while flying has become increasingly important for the group’s airlines’ passengers, and the introduction of Starlink “will transform onboard connectivity, improving both the connection speed and reliability for customers.”
Comments ()