Fort Worth-based American Airlines will start equipping its entire mainline fleet with high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi service in early 2027.

The full-fleet rollout builds on American’s May announcement that it would install Starlink on more than 500 Airbus aircraft starting next year.

Under the new plan, SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service will be added to more than 1,000 American mainline jets — Airbus and Boeing narrowbody and widebody aircraft. An airline directly operates mainline jets, as opposed to aircraft flown by regional and codeshare partners like American Eagle and Alaska Airlines.

In January, American launched free satellite Wi-Fi service, sponsored by AT&T, for members of its AAdvantage loyalty program. Intelsat and Viasat have been managing American’s Wi-Fi service. Starlink is replacing them on the mainline jets.

Elsewhere in DFW, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines debuted inflight Starlink service in June. Another Dallas-based airline, semi-private charter operator JSX, offers free inflight Starlink service as well.

Faster connections

American said it wants to operate one of the world’s largest Starlink-connected airline fleets equipped with Starlink’s Performance Aero Terminal. One terminal delivers internet speeds up to 1 gigabit per second.

By comparison, Dallas-based AT&T offers internet plans with speeds up to 5 gigabits per second. A recent report from HighSpeedInternet.com found the average internet speed for Texas households is much slower — a little over 235 megabits per second.

Starlink’s satellite network orbits close to Earth, enabling high-speed internet access across the world. The company manufactures satellite internet equipment at a factory in Bastrop, an Austin suburb.

“Our customers have told us that dependable connectivity can make a meaningful difference in how they spend their time in the air,” Heather Garboden, American’s chief customer officer, said in a statement.

“Whether they are livestreaming a favorite show, gaming, collaborating in real time on an important work deal, scrolling social media or online shopping, Starlink will give our customers countless options to make the most of their time while traveling,” she said.

More than 165 million travelers fly on American’s mainline aircraft each year, the airline said.

American Airlines customers “will have fast, reliable internet from gate to gate, whether they are streaming, working or staying connected to family and friends throughout their travel,” Lauren Dreyer, vice president of Starlink business operations at Elon Musk’s SpaceX, said in a statement.

Southwest-Starlink connection

Southwest beat American to the Starlink starting line this summer. On June 22, a Starlink-equipped plane flew from Dallas to Albuquerque, New Mexico. After that flight, Southwest began outfitting more planes with Starlink service.

A Southwest spokesperson told Dallas Innovates the airline currently operates 42 Starlink-equipped planes. Southwest launched a program dedicated solely to installing Starlink, enabling the airline to increase the pace of Wi-Fi retrofits. Southwest previously handled some Starlink installations alongside other routine maintenance, the spokesperson said.

“Starlink delivers a new era of inflight connectivity to Southwest,” Tony Roach, the airline’s chief customer and brand officer, said in a statement this summer.

“This ultra-fast Wi-Fi brings an at-home experience to the air and redefines how customers can stay connected, be productive and make the most of their time while flying at 35,000 feet,” he said.

Southwest offers free Wi-Fi, sponsored by T-Mobile, to members of its Rapid Rewards loyalty program.