In this articleAALFollow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNTAnadolu | Anadolu | Getty ImagesAmerican Airlines plans to outfit more than 500 of its narrow-body aircraft with Starlink, handing another win to Elon Musk’s SpaceX unit that has made inroads with major carriers for in-flight Wi-Fi.American was evaluating Starlink and Amazon Leo as recently as March for the service. The airline announced Tuesday it would install Starlink on about 500 of its narrow-body Airbus planes, like the A321neo, starting early next year. American spokesman said the carrier doesn’t have immediate plans to change providers on its Boeing fleet, which uses a mix of Viasat and Panasonic.American in January rolled out free in-flight Wi-Fi for members of its frequent flyer program, following United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and others.Delta in March said it would use Amazon Leo for in-flight Wi-Fi for hundreds of jets starting in 2028. United, Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines, which merged with Hawaiian Airlines in 2024, have selected Starlink.Carriers are battling for higher-spending customers, including by upgrading once-slow, expensive and clunky in-flight internet to higher speeds. They have also been weighing other revenue streams, like personalized ads for travelers.SpaceX, meanwhile, is preparing to go public in what’s likely to be a record IPO next month. Its connectivity unit, which includes Starlink, posted revenue of $11.39 billion last year, making up 61% of total sales, SpaceX said in a filing for its initial public offering earlier this month.Read more CNBC airline newsSpirit starts monthslong process of dismantling airline after biggest collapse in a generation’Godspeed my friend’: Inside the final hours of Spirit AirlinesUnited Airlines CEO confirms he approached American Airlines about mergerU.S. airlines are hiking fares — and travelers keep bookingChoose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news. …
