--- title: "Delta CEO Says Airline Is Testing SpaceX Starlink Internet in Flights" description: "Inflight Starlink Right now, getting online on a flight is not only extremely expensive, it’s clunky and slow. But thanks to SpaceX’s satellite-based broadband internet service Starlink, that might change soon — in the US at least. Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian revealed in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that the airline […]" date: "2022-04-20" modified: "2022-04-20" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/delta-ceo-airline-testing-spacex-starlink-flights" categories: - "Future Society" - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "elon musk" - "SpaceX" - "starlink" - "the digest" --- # Delta CEO Says Airline Is Testing SpaceX Starlink Internet in Flights ![]() *\Image: Futurism\* ## Inflight Starlink Right now, getting online on a flight is not only extremely expensive but also clunky and slow. But thanks to SpaceX's satellite-based broadband internet service Starlink, that might soon start to change. Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian revealed in an [interview with *The Wall Street Journal*]() this week that the airline is looking to add Starlink connectivity to its commercial flights, and has already conducted testing — a big deal, potentially, for SpaceX and also anyone who flies. ## Fast and Free Bastian has long maintained that WiFi on board flights should be not only reliable and fast, [but free as well](). Today's reality is a far shot from that, though, with spotty connectivity being provided at substantial costs. Only JetBlue offers free high speed WiFi in the US as of right now, [according to *The Points Guy*](). The news comes after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk [revealed last year]() that the space company is focusing on 737 and A320 aircraft "as those serve the most number of people." SpaceX has also already received permission from the Federal Communications Commission to test Starlink hardware on aircraft, according to tk. There's no indication of how long it'll take for Starlink internet to be implemented on commercial flights, but considering the success SpaceX has seen in bringing considerable internet speeds to rural parts of the world, it's likely to improve on an otherwise lackluster experience. **READ MORE:** [Delta Air Lines Tested SpaceX’s Starlink Internet for Planes, Delta CEO Says]() \[*The Wall Street Journal*\] **More on SpaceX:** *[Photographer Spots Tiny, Annoyed Face Welded Onto SpaceX Rocket]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()