Following in the footsteps of Qatar Airways, which has already completed the rollout across its entire Boeing 777 fleet, this week Emirates has announced plans to equip all 232 of its Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft with SpaceX’s revolutionary Starlink Wi-Fi system by mid-2027.

The Dubai-based carrier is moving aggressively to catch up with its regional rival, with its first Starlink-equipped Boeing 777 entering commercial service on 23rd November 2025.

Emirates is promising to retrofit approximately 14 aircraft per month – an impressive pace that will put it on track to operate the world’s largest Starlink-enabled international wide-body fleet.

Starlink connectivity promises to deliver “ground-quality internet at cruising altitude”.

Emirates Starlink Wi-Fi goes live

Emirates’ first Starlink-equipped aircraft – a Boeing 777-300ER registered A6-EPF – made its debut at the Dubai Airshow this week, and will enter commercial service on 23rd November 2025, though its first destination has not been revealed at the time of writing.

The aircraft was recently refitted with the carrier’s latest Business Class product, which we reviewed recently on a flight from Dubai to London Stansted.

Unfortunately retrofitted Boeing 777s are not yet used on the carrier’s Singapore route, which now sees a single 777 service each day (continuing to Phnom Penh), alongside three Airbus A380 flights.

The Starlink service on Emirates will be completely free for all passengers, regardless of cabin class or frequent flyer status. Unlike the carrier’s current Wi-Fi offerings that require payment or Skywards membership, the new system offers one-click access, with gate-to-gate connectivity and no login screens or payment gateways to contend with.

“With Starlink onboard your Emirates flight, you’ll be able to stream, game, and have seamless video calls, just as you can do on the ground.”

Chad Gibbs, VP Starlink Business Operations, SpaceX

Passengers can expect to stream content, participate in video calls, play online games, work productively just as though they were in the office, and browse social media throughout their journey – all simultaneously on both seat-back screens and personal devices.

Here’s Emirates’ promotion video, showing (in an abbreviated sense!) how the equipment is fitted to a Boeing 777.

Emirates Starlink rollout schedule

While Emirates is playing catch-up to Qatar Airways, which already has Starlink on all 54 of its Boeing 777-300ERs and aims to complete retrofits on its Airbus A350 fleet in 2026, the Dubai carrier’s rollout schedule is nonetheless impressive:

• November 2025: First Boeing 777 enters service with Starlink
• February 2026: A380 installations begin, with Emirates becoming the first airline to equip the superjumbo with Starlink
• Mid-2027: All 232 aircraft (Boeing 777s and A380s) equipped

The airline plans to maintain a rapid installation pace of approximately 14 aircraft per month, significantly faster than many carriers’ retrofit programs.

One interesting detail from Qatar’s experience: Starlink installation can take as little as two days to fully install and test the system, according to details obtained by Head for Points, which goes some way to explaining Emirates’ ambitious aircraft retrofit rate.

Technical specifications

Emirates is implementing the following antenna configuration on its Starlink-equipped fleet:

• Boeing 777: Two Starlink antennae per aircraft
• Airbus A380: Three antennae per aircraft (an industry first)

This is designed to ensure consistent bandwidth and coverage across all cabin classes, particularly important on the carrier’s Airbus A380s, which can carry 615 passengers in the case of the two-class configuration.

Live TV and enhanced features

Beyond basic internet connectivity, Emirates will introduce Live TV over Starlink, initially available on personal devices from late December 2025, with integration into seat-back screens to follow.

This builds on the airline’s existing entertainment offering of over 6,500 channels, adding real-time sports and news to the mix – streamed at up to 500 Mbps like on Qatar’s flights.

Playing catch-up in the connectivity race

Emirates’ announcement comes as the airline faces increasing pressure from competitors who have already embraced Starlink technology. Not only has Qatar Airways completed its Boeing 777 fleet rollout in record time and, but United Airlines has announced plans to equip over 1,000 aircraft with the service – Starlink’s biggest deal to date.

Other carriers jumping on the Starlink bandwagon include:

• Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and Vueling: IAG Group airlines recently announced fleet-wide rollouts
• Air France: Currently installing Starlink
• Hawaiian Airlines: Already completed installation on all A321s and A330s
• SAS: Currently installing Starlink
• Virgin Atlantic: Beginning installations in 2026

What about Singapore Airlines?

Just last week we reported that Singapore Airlines, which has lagged even further behind Emirates in inflight connectivity, has finally committed to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite Wi-Fi across its fleet.

Starlink has been tipped as the provider, though the carrier is keeping that particular confirmation close to its chest for now, citing confidentiality requirements during a recent analyst briefing.

“…on Wi-Fi LEO, this is a confidential discussion we are having, so I cannot disclose specifics…”

Tan Kai Ping, COO, Singapore Airlines

Nonetheless, the Airbus A350 Long Haul fleet will likely be the first to benefit next year, as they go into the hangar for cabin refits with the carrier’s new Business Class product, set to be launched in the first half of 2026.

“We do want to start with the long-haul fleet. We will begin retrofitting next year because that is where customers can benefit most. Customers will benefit from not just massively higher bandwidth, but also much better reliability in terms of internet connectivity.”

Tan Kai Ping, COO, Singapore Airlines

While Singapore Airlines recently made its existing Wi-Fi free for all passengers, the carrier’s current speeds of 4-9 Mbps pale in comparison to Starlink’s capabilities. With typical latency of 600ms+ on SIA’s current system versus Starlink’s 25-36ms, many have been wondering when the carrier will make the switch – finally it’s happening.

What makes Starlink different?

For those unfamiliar with the technology, Starlink’s advantage comes from its LEO satellite constellation, positioned at just 550km above Earth compared to traditional geostationary satellites at 35,786km.

This dramatic difference in altitude delivers:

• Speeds: 100 – 215 Mbps reported on Qatar Airways flights
• Latency: 20 – 36ms versus 600 – 900ms on traditional systems
• Coverage: Over 5,000 satellites providing global coverage
• Reliability: Consistent performance even over oceans and polar regions

Part of Emirates’ broader transformation

Sir Tim Clark, Emirates President, positioned the Starlink rollout as part of the airline’s “most ambitious cabin refurbishment programme in aviation,” which includes:

• New Premium Economy cabins
• Enhanced Business Class seats
• Refreshed First Class suites
• Upgraded entertainment systems

The airline has already completed retrofits on 76 aircraft as part of its nearly 220-aircraft program, with Starlink installation now happening alongside these cabin upgrades.

Emirates’ commitment to installing free Starlink Wi-Fi across its entire 232-aircraft fleet by mid-2027 represents a significant shift for its inflight connectivity. While the carrier may be following Qatar Airways’ lead, the scale and speed of the rollout – combined with being first to equip the Airbus A380 – will likely pressure other premium carriers to accelerate their own LEO Wi-Fi plans.

For frequent flyers, this means that seamless, high-speed connectivity is rapidly becoming standard, not a premium extra. With Emirates joining Qatar Airways, United, British Airways and others in the Starlink club, airlines still relying on traditional satellite systems risk being left behind.

The first Emirates Starlink flights start this weekend, with rapid expansion ahead. Given the installation pace of 14 aircraft per month, passengers should start seeing Starlink-equipped aircraft on popular routes including Singapore from early 2026, with the entire network covered by mid-2027.

(Cover Photo: Emirates)