Aer Lingus has entered into a partnership with Elon Musk, announcing that it will install the billionaire’s Starlink wi-fi system across its aircraft, reports Breaking News.
Passengers travelling on Sunday morning’s flight from Dublin to New York JFK were the first to use the new onboard service, reports Breaking News.
The airline plans to complete the rollout across its long-haul fleet by 2027, with the service also expected to be introduced on short-haul routes, excluding Aer Lingus regional planes.
Aer Lingus chief executive Lynne Embleton described the technology as a “gamechanger”, reports Breaking News.
“Introducing Starlink on our first aircraft is a big moment for us in Aer Lingus. It means our customers can browse, download and stream at speeds as fast as, or quicker than, they’d get at home.
“This level of connectivity is a real gamechanger. It gives our customers more freedom in how they spend their time on board and it helps our crews and teams work more efficiently. As we mark our 90th year, Starlink is just one of a number of customer improvements we’re bringing to Aer Lingus.”, reports Breaking News.
Following an online exchange with Musk earlier this year, Michael O’Leary said he would consider installing Starlink on Ryanair aircraft if the businessman covered an additional €250 million in fuel costs.
The airline boss had engaged in a back-and-forth with the tech entrepreneur over whether the Starlink system could be used to provide in-flight wi-fi on Ryanair services, reports Breaking News.
After O’Leary suggested it was not practical, Musk responded by calling him an “idiot” and “chimp” and joked on X about the possibility of purchasing the airline, reports Breaking News.
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