Delta has tested SpaceX Starlink's satellite internet technology onboard its aircraft, CEO says

The CEO of Delta has said that the airline has tested the technology on its planes.

Ed Bastian told The Wall Street Journal that Delta had held talks with Starlink and had conducted exploratory testing of the internet technology.

According to Jonathan Hofeller, the vice president of Starlink and commercial sales, the company was in talks with several airlines about providing on-board internet connections. Several other companies already provide this service to airlines.

The Journal reported on Delta's plans for Starlink on Monday.

Delta introduced a two-week pilot of free internet on certain flights after Bastian told The Journal that it should be free on planes. In March of 2022, the airline announced that it had begun offering Viasat's satellite internet at a flat rate of $5 per flight.

Starlink is designed to connect rural, underserved communities to internet, but the company has also requested in a filing to the FCC that it connect moving vehicles to Starlink.

Starlink was focused on attaining regulatory certification for Boeing's 738 and A320 planes because they served the largest number of people, according to Musk.

Insider reached out to Delta for comment on the Starlink tests. Insider requested comment from SpaceX, but they didn't reply immediately.