Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic: “This is a historic milestone for airBaltic and a game-changer for European air travel. By becoming the first European airline to integrate SpaceX’s Starlink, we are redefining what connectivity in the skies means. This is not just an improvement, it is a revolution in air travel, and we are proud to be at the forefront, delivering the future of connectivity to our passengers already today.”
Chad Gibbs, SpaceX’s Vice President of Starlink Business Operations: “Customers and crew of airBaltic flights will now have access to high-speed, low-latency internet the moment they step onboard their plane. This year, we intend to have the entire airBaltic fleet connected with Starlink, and we couldn’t be more excited to provide reliable internet service on tens of thousands of flights and counting all around the world.”
airBaltic has commenced Starlink installation across its Airbus A220-300 fleet and expects to complete the full fleet integration by the end of 2025.
With Starlink, airBaltic will provide uninterrupted, free-of-charge, high-speed, and low-latency internet from boarding to landing, allowing passengers to stream videos, work remotely, and stay connected without requiring logins or additional setups.
Starlink is being used by so many people, businesses and organizations in more than 120 countries, territories, and other markets around the world, spanning all 7 continents and oceans. The number of people using Starlink has grown to millions and counting. Serving commercial aircraft since last year, Starlink provides ultra-fast speeds and low latency by utilizing satellites in low-Earth orbit, positioned over 65 times closer than traditional geostationary satellites.
This innovative approach allows Starlink to deliver up to 500 Mbps with a low latency connection, enabling an at home experience where passengers can engage in activities previously unavailable during flights, such as online gaming, using virtual private networks (VPNs), and other high-bandwidth tasks.
airBaltic in brief:
airBaltic (Air Baltic Corporation AS) is the leading airline in the Baltics and one of Europe’s fastest-growing carriers. As a hybrid airline, it leverages the upsides of both traditional network and low-cost carriers. Through a network of more than 130 routes from Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, Tampere and, seasonally, Gran Canaria, airBaltic connects the Baltics with over 70 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Caucasus. Founded in 1995, today airBaltic operates one of Europe’s youngest fleets, consisting of 50 Airbus A220-300 aircraft, and employs over 2 800 professionals. The company is majority-owned by the Latvian state, which holds a 97.97% stake, with the remaining 2.03% owned by private shareholders.
airBaltic’s commitment to excellence is recognized by numerous prestigious awards including the Best Airline in its region by Skytrax for three consecutive years. In 2022, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) recognized airBaltic with the Diversity and Inclusion Team Award. Furthermore, in 2023, APEX awarded the company the Passenger Choice Award for Best Cabin Service in Europe, and in 2024 airBaltic also received the APEX Four Star Major Airline Award, recognizing its commitment to providing a high-quality travel experience. In 2024, the airline was awarded the PROS AI Innovator Award for leveraging AI to drive transformative outcomes and optimize operations.
About Starlink:
Starlink delivers high-speed, low-latency internet to users all over the world. As the world’s first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit, Starlink delivers broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls and more. Starlink is engineered and operated by SpaceX. As the world’s leading provider of launch services, SpaceX is leveraging its deep experience with both spacecraft and on-orbit operations to deploy the world’s most advanced broadband internet system.
