Qatar Airways has completed the installation of SpaceX’s Starlink internet service on its fleet of 54 Boeing 777 aircraft, concluding the rollout programme ahead of schedule.

The airline now operates the largest number of widebody aircraft equipped with Starlink connectivity, making it the only carrier in the Middle East and North Africa to offer the service.

Initially set as a two-year initiative, the installation was finalised in nine months, nearly 50% faster than planned.

The process was streamlined by reducing retrofit time from three days to 9.5 hours per aircraft, allowing the programme to be completed without operational disruption.

“This new milestone demonstrates our strategic investment in redefining our passengers’ expectations,”

said Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Badr Mohammed Al-Meer.

“We promised the fastest, most seamless in-flight connectivity in the industry, and with Starlink we have delivered it faster and at an unmatched scale. Having completed our rollout programme for Boeing 777s, we are now fully focused on equipping our Airbus A350 fleet with Starlink, bringing this game-changing experience to even more routes across our global network of over 170 destinations.”

Passengers travelling in both Premium and Economy cabins now have access to free, gate-to-gate internet with speeds of up to 500 Mbps per aircraft.

The connectivity is designed to support streaming, gaming, and work, with performance comparable to home broadband.

Following the completion of the Boeing 777 rollout, Qatar Airways is progressing with the Starlink installation on its Airbus A350 fleet, targeting completion within the next year.

Since introducing its first Starlink-equipped Boeing 777 in October 2024, the airline has operated more than 15,000 flights with Starlink connectivity.

Featured image credit: Qatar Airways