airBaltic has begun testing Starlink connectivity aboard its Airbus A220s
airBaltic, the flag carrier of Latvia, has begun testing SpaceX's Starlink internet connectivity aboard the [...]
AirBaltic
RIX
airBaltic, the national airline of Latvia, has begun testing the SpaceX's Starlink internet connectivity aboard its fleet of Airbus A220-300s.. Tests were conducted as much on the ground, at the carrier's hub in Line, as much as in the air: both airBaltic and Starlink employees were on board.
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The next step for airBaltic and SpaceX. is the obtaining of theSTC approval (supplementary type certificate); after which the Latvian company, By the end of the current year, is expected to begin the installation of this product in its fleet consisting entirely of A220s.
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Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic said, "We are excited to lead the way in Europe by offering free, unlimited, high-speed connectivity on board our flights. This first test has enabled us to improve our service for passengers traveling within the airBaltic network in Europe and beyond. We are grateful to our Starlink partners at SpaceX for their unwavering support during this journey. Their shared ambition and dedication perfectly embrace airBaltic's values."
Jason Fritch, Vice President of Starlink Enterprise Sales, commented, "As Starlink continues to enable high-speed, low-latency Internet on aircraft around the world, we are excited to bring this next-generation experience to Europe with airBaltic's A220 fleet."
Someone may be thinking, "but there is already wi-fi on board airBaltic's fleet!" Yes, they do, however, you cannot take advantage of it to surf the web but only to access the in-flight portal, check flight status, and order food.
The goal of airBaltic is, therefore, to offer its passengers access to high-speed internet, without slowdowns or interruptions: to do so, he decided to rely on Starlink, which, thanks to its satellites positioned in Earth orbit at an altitude more than 65 times closer than conventional geostationary satellites, it achieves much lower latency and higher throughput to offer its users.