Flying easyJet without a connection has an expiration date. The airline has announced that it will install Starlink satellite internet across its fleet starting in the first half of 2027. For a company that carried more than 100 million passengers in 2025, many of them on routes popular with American travelers in Europe, it’s a big change.
When and on which aircraft
- Start: first half of 2027.
- End of the rollout: early 2028.
- Aircraft: about 300 Airbus A320, A320neo and A321neo, out of a fleet of more than 350.
- Left out: the A319s, which easyJet will retire before 2029.
Will it be free?
We don’t know yet. easyJet hasn’t said whether Wi-Fi will be free or paid, and only explains that “access to connectivity will be managed by Starlink.” easyJet CEO Kenton Jarvis justifies it this way: “In an increasingly digital world, being connected matters more than ever to many of our customers.” And SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell adds that a fast connection “from takeoff to landing” lets people work, stream or stay in touch.
Other airlines with Starlink
- Free: British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus.
- Paid: Vueling.
- Also have it or will have it: Air Baltic, Eurowings and Wizz Air (in 2027).
Ryanair keeps saying no
The big holdout is Ryanair. Michael O’Leary refuses to install Starlink because, according to him, the antennas increase fuel consumption by 2%. Starlink counters that the real impact is 0.3%. With easyJet and Wizz Air on board, Ryanair is increasingly alone among Europe’s big low-cost carriers with no plans for onboard Wi-Fi.
My take
From what people who have tried it say, Starlink is in a different league from the usual in-flight Wi-Fi: it’s good enough for video calls, shows or working almost as if you were at home. What worries me is the price: if easyJet charges for it the way it charges for a bag or a seat, it could end up as an expensive extra. If it offers it for free like Iberia, it will have a huge advantage over Ryanair. That’s the key.
