A Glimpse of the Future – airBaltic Tests SpaceX’s Starlink Internet

The Latvian airline airBaltic announces it has conducted an initial test of SpaceX’s Starlink internet connectivity system onboard its Airbus A220-300 aircraft. The ground test was conducted at the airline’s home base in Riga, and the inflight connectivity system was tested with a full cabin comprising airBaltic and SpaceX’s Starlink employees.

Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic: “We are excited to lead the way in Europe by offering high-speed, unlimited, and complimentary inflight connectivity onboard our flights. This first test brings good insights and moves us closer to enhancing our service for passengers travelling within the airBaltic network in Europe and beyond.”

“We are grateful to our partners at SpaceX’s Starlink for their unwavering support throughout this transformative journey. Their shared ambition and dedication perfectly complement airBaltic's values. As we operate one of the most modern aircraft types on the market, it was the next logical step for airBaltic to introduce the cutting-edge Starlink inflight internet solution onboard this fleet,” Martin Gauss added.

Jason Fritch, VP of Starlink Enterprise Sales: “As Starlink continues to activate high-speed, low-latency internet on aircraft around the world, we are excited to bring this next-generation experience to Europe with airBaltic’s A220 fleet.”

airBaltic is working with SpaceX on achieving the required STC (supplemental type certification) approval and is expected to begin installing the product on the airBaltic Airbus A220-300 fleet by the end of this year.

With plans to equip its entire A220-300 fleet with SpaceX’s Starlink inflight connectivity system, airBaltic aims to provide every passenger with seamless, high-speed internet access throughout their journey without hassles or login pages. From boarding to landing, internet access will be available to all passengers.

Developed by SpaceX, Starlink provides high-speed, low-latency broadband internet in over 90 countries and territories around the world and began serving commercial aircraft last year with in-flight high-speed internet. With satellites positioned in low-Earth orbit at an altitude over 65 times closer than conventional geostationary satellites, Starlink achieves significantly lower latency and higher transmission speeds for its end users. Starlink can deliver up to 500 Mbps to aircraft, and with latency as low as 20 ms, passengers can engage in activities previously not functional in flight, including online gaming, virtual private networks, and other high data rate activities.

 airBaltic in brief:

airBaltic (Air Baltic Corporation AS) is a joint stock company that was established in 1995. Its primary shareholder is the Latvian state, which holds 97.97% of the stock, while the rest of the shareholders hold 2.03%. airBaltic offers connections to more than 70 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Caucasus region. Over the last 28 years, airBaltic has developed as a strong and internationally respected airline, which employs more than 2 500 employees. The airBaltic fleet consists of 47 Airbus A220-300 aircraft, making it one of the youngest fleets in Europe. The airline has received several international awards for excellence, innovative services and significant achievements. Skytrax has awarded airBaltic two years in a row as the best airline in its region. Additionally, in 2022, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) awarded airBaltic the Diversity and Inclusion Team Award. In 2023 the airline received the APEX Passenger Choice Award of Best Cabin Service in Europe.

For more information, please contact:
airBaltic Corporate Communication Unit
Air Baltic Corporation AS
E-mail: pr@airbaltic.com