Qatar Airways Completes Starlink Installation on All 777s

Qatar Airways has become the first airline in the world to fully equip a widebody aircraft fleet—54 Boeing 777s—with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet, offering free, high-speed Wi-Fi across global long-haul routes. This milestone was announced in July 2025 and confirms the carrier as a leader in flight connectivity innovation. 

Rapid Rollout: Completed in Only Nine Months

Qatar Airways, recently crowned the World’s Best Airline by Skytrax 2025, has set a new benchmark for in-flight Wi-Fi. Originally planned as a two-year project, the Starlink installation was completed nearly 50% faster than anticipated by reducing retrofit time from three days to just 9.5 hours per aircraft. This efficiency allowed the airline to maintain uninterrupted operations throughout the rollout, ensuring no disruption to its global network of over 170 destinations.

The airline now operates the largest number of Starlink-equipped widebody aircraft globally and is the only carrier in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to offer this service. Since launching its first Starlink-equipped Boeing 777 flight from Doha to London on October 22, 2024, Qatar Airways has operated over 15,000 connected flights, delivering unparalleled connectivity to passengers.

Qatar Airways's Unmatched Passenger Experience

Starlink’s low-earth orbit satellite technology provides ultra-high-speed, low-latency internet, offering passengers free, gate-to-gate Wi-Fi with speeds up to 500 Mbps per aircraft. Whether streaming movies, gaming, or conducting video conferences, travelers in both Premium and Economy cabins can enjoy a seamless digital experience comparable to, or even surpassing, home broadband services. An Ookla report highlights Qatar Airways’ median download speeds of 120.6 Mbps, significantly outperforming other airlines.

Passenger feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with users praising the one-click access that eliminates the need for login details or seat numbers. The system’s reliability was showcased in unique events, such as a Paris Saint-Germain press conference hosted at 35,000 feet and the world’s first in-flight e-sports competition, “Gaming in the Sky,” held on May 11, 2025, during a Doha-to-London flight.

Expanding to Airbus A350

Building on the success of the Boeing 777 rollout, Qatar Airways has begun equipping its Airbus A350 fleet with Starlink, with installations starting in April 2025 and expected completion within a year. The A350, a next-generation aircraft used on many of the airline’s key routes, will further expand this game-changing connectivity across Qatar Airways’ global network.

Strategic Vision: Quote from CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer

Qatar Airways’ Group CEO said:
“This milestone demonstrates our strategic investment in redefining passengers’ expectations. We promised the fastest, seamless in-flight connectivity, and with Starlink we've delivered it faster and at unmatched scale. Having completed our Boeing 777 rollout, we now focus on outfitting our Airbus A350 fleet, bringing this to more routes across our global network of over 170 destinations.

What Travellers Should Know

Setting a New Industry Standard

Qatar Airways’ adoption of Starlink is part of a broader trend, with airlines like United Airlines, Air France, Hawaiian Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic also integrating the technology. However, Qatar Airways’ scale and speed of deployment position it as a pioneer, potentially influencing competitors to accelerate their own connectivity upgrades. The airline’s ability to offer high-speed internet over oceans and remote areas, where traditional Wi-Fi systems falter, highlights Starlink’s transformative potential for global air travel. 

Qatar Airways is redefining airborne connectivity with full Starlink capability on its 777 wide-body fleet, delivering unmatched free, ultra-fast internet for long-haul passengers. With the Airbus A350 upgrade underway, tech-forward travellers now have even more reason to choose QR for global business, leisure, and streaming-on-the-go experiences.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is based on publicly available reports and official press releases from Qatar Airways. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy at the time of publication, airline services, features, and policies may change without prior notice.

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