Delta conducted exploratory tests of Starlink's internet technology for its planes, according to Ed Bastian, the airline's chief executive. According to The Wall Street Journal, Bastian declined to reveal details about the test, but Jonathan Hofeller, the CEO of SpaceX, talked about the company&s discussion with several airlines in mid-2021. Hofeller said back then that the company was developing a product for aviation and that it had already done some demonstrations for interested parties.
The Starlink antennae for planes would have to be certified for each aircraft type before they could be used. He said that the company is focusing on dishes for A320 planes because they serve the most people.
Schedule driver there is regulatory approval. Has to be certified for each aircraft type. Focusing on 737 & A320, as those serve most number of people, with development testing on Gulfstream.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 25, 2021
He said that the company believes thatnectivity on airplanes is something that is ripe for an upgrade.
In August last year, the FCC received an application for a ruggedized type of Starlink antenna that can be used on planes, ships and other types of moving vehicles. A couple of months later, another FCC filing revealed that the company was going to test the new mobile user terminal on an aircraft for six months.
The founder of Summit Ridge Group, a consulting firm with expertise in satellite communications, told The Journal that it could take several years for the internet to be widely adopted. It still has to schedule time with airlines to install terminals on their planes, even though more established competitors are also taking steps to improve their service.
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