United receives FAA certification for first Starlink-equipped mainline aircraft

United announced the FAA certified its first mainline Starlink-equipped aircraft, and the first commercial flight is planned for October 15. This certification comes less than five months since the first Starlink-equipped United customer flight on the Embraer 175 regional aircraft and less than a year since United signed the industry's largest agreement of its kind with SpaceX to bring Starlink's fast, reliable Wi-Fi service free to MileagePlus members on the airline's mainline and regional aircraft fleet.

The FAA approved Starlink's Supplemental Type Certificate  amendment for the Boeing 737-800 to include United's fleet. United completed the equipment installation on its first mainline aircraft and expects the first Starlink-equipped mainline flight to be onboard a United Boeing 737-800 that will fly from Newark/New York on October 15.

United's first Starlink-equipped regional flight took place on a regional jet in May 2025, and the airline now has Starlink installed on more than half of the aircraft in its regional fleet. Initial customer scores on those flights have been noteworthy with 90% of customers appreciating the ability to stream onboard with Starlink's high-speed, easy-to-use and consistent connection.  

Grant Milstead, United's Vice President of Digital Technology commented: "Customers are loving the Starlink experience onboard our regional aircraft, and our first Starlink-equipped mainline aircraft will bring a superior inflight experience to even more people. We're working to install Starlink and offer game-changing inflight entertainment experiences like streaming services, shopping, gaming and more." 

Starlink stands to unlock an incredible onboard experience for United customers – the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky, for free. Starlink continues to secure an FAA STC to install Starlink on every United aircraft type getting the new equipment – more than 16 total regional and mainline aircraft models.

The FAA certification process involves approval of the design, installation, testing and certification of the system to ensure safe and reliable operations. United unveiled the Starlink installation process earlier this year, underscoring the technical operations benefits associated with the equipment, including size and weight as well as the ease of install and maintenance. The Starlink system, when compared to non-Starlink equipment, allows for a faster and simpler installation because it is lighter, requiring less fuel to operate the aircraft and is more reliable and weather-proofed.