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Virgin Atlantic adds Starlink Wi‑Fi to 787s
Virgin Atlantic will roll out Starlink Wi‑Fi across its 787 Dreamliners to deliver faster, more reliable in‑flight internet.
On October 16, 2025, Virgin Atlantic (IATA: VS, ICAO: VIR) and Boeing confirmed a partnership to fit the carrier’s full Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet with SpaceX’s Starlink high-speed Wi‑Fi. The airline says work will begin in early 2026, marking the first major Starlink deployment on a UK carrier’s long‑haul fleet.
The move aims to upgrade passenger experience and improve operational communications on long sectors. Virgin Atlantic’s announcement highlights faster streaming, more reliable connectivity over oceans, and potential benefits for crew communications and real‑time data transfer between aircraft and operations teams.
Technically, Starlink uses a low‑Earth orbit satellite constellation to reduce latency and increase bandwidth compared with many traditional geostationary systems. For passengers, that should mean smoother video calls, quicker browsing and more stable messaging on transatlantic and other long‑haul routes flown by the Dreamliner fleet.
What Starlink Wi‑Fi brings to Virgin Atlantic
Beyond passenger perks, the Starlink upgrade targets operational efficiency — better real‑time telemetry, improved crew connectivity and more resilient comms when flying remote routes. Virgin Atlantic frames the rollout as part of broader digital upgrades to its long‑haul operations.
- Passenger experience: Starlink Wi‑Fi will enable faster streaming and low‑latency apps on 787 Dreamliners.
- Operational benefits: improved data links for crew and dispatch over oceanic airspace.
- Rollout timing: announced October 16, 2025; installations begin early 2026 across the carrier’s 787 fleet.
Virgin Atlantic hasn’t disclosed specific installation timelines for individual aircraft or the exact model variants being fitted, but the plan covers its entire 787 Dreamliner group. As airlines race to meet passenger expectations for connectivity, this agreement with Boeing and SpaceX’s Starlink positions Virgin Atlantic as an early UK adopter on long‑haul aircraft.
