Lufthansa begins large-scale installation of Starlink on aircraft
Lufthansa has operated its first passenger flight with Starlink high-speed satellite internet. The first equipped aircraft, an Airbus A320neo with registration D-AINM, departed from Frankfurt to Rome on flight LH234 on August 19.
The aircraft left Frankfurt at 12:15. At an altitude of about 10,000 meters, the system was activated by Lufthansa Airlines CEO Jens Ritter. After the first flight, this A320neo will continue to operate regular scheduled services with the new internet service on board.
Starlink has become the foundation of the new Lufthansa Group Wi-Fi service. The satellite system allows passengers to use the internet during flight, work with cloud services and watch streaming video. Lufthansa aims to provide high-speed connectivity on both short-haul and long-haul routes.
Ten more aircraft to be equipped by the end of the year
By the end of 2026, Lufthansa plans to equip up to ten more Airbus A320 family aircraft with Starlink. They are operated by Lufthansa and Lufthansa City Airlines. The equipment will be installed mainly at the Lufthansa Technik base in Berlin, combining the work with scheduled aircraft maintenance periods.
Other carriers in the group will begin introducing satellite internet next. Lufthansa Group previously announced that SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines are preparing for deployment. The programme also includes ITA Airways, Edelweiss, Discover Airlines, Air Dolomiti, Lufthansa City Airlines and Eurowings.
The group's main goal is significantly larger than the first ten aircraft. By 2029, Starlink is planned to be installed on approximately 850 aircraft across all Lufthansa Group airlines. The company states that upon completion of the programme it will become the largest aviation group in Europe by the number of aircraft with such high-speed satellite internet.
Who will get free internet access
Miles & More participants and registered Travel ID users will be able to use Lufthansa Group Wi-Fi free of charge. This rule applies regardless of the class of service — access is available for economy class passengers as well as customers in higher classes.
The new portal allows internet access and reading of electronic publications, and later Lufthansa intends to add flight-related information and services. The airline has established general rules for connection usage: passengers are asked to use headphones when watching or listening to content, refrain from video calls and not conduct live broadcasts from the aircraft.
Lufthansa Group announced plans to move its entire fleet to Starlink back in January 2026. At that time, the company said equipment installation would begin in the second half of the year. The first commercial flight on August 19 marked the actual start of the large-scale transition to the new communication system.
Based on materials from: Lufthansa Group, Lufthansa Group
