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UK carrier Virgin Atlantic has brought forward its plans to equip its aircraft with Starlink Wi-Fi connectivity. The airline originally planned on introducing it during the third quarter (Q3) of this year, but the revised plan will see the airline’s first aircraft with Starlink in May.
The first aircraft type to receive Starlink in the Virgin Atlantic fleet will be the Airbus A350, before it is rolled out onto the remaining widebody aircraft in its fleet. While the airline is the first UK carrier to announce the introduction of Starlink, neighboring carrier British Airways became the first UK airline to operate a flight with Starlink connectivity.
First Starlink Equipped Virgin Atlantic Flight Set For May
The latest press release from Virgin Atlantic states that the airline is bringing forward the launch date of the carrier’s first Starlink connectivity-equipped flight. The airline had originally announced the introduction of Starlink Wi-Fi in June 2025, becoming the first UK-based airline to announce Starlink connectivity. While the original plan was to introduce the system by the third quarter of 2026, Virgin Atlantic now aims to have its first aircraft equipped with the system and operating by early May.
The carrier states that the first of its aircraft to be equipped with Starlink will be an Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, and the first flight equipped with the system will operate between 
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and 
New York JFK Airport. Considering this remains a flagship route for the airline, it makes sense that this is the route that will launch this important in-flight connectivity service.
Beyond the A350s, the airline has also stated that Starlink connectivity will be rolled out across its fleet, which also includes aircraft types such as the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and the Airbus A330-900 (the airline is currently phasing out its older A330-300s). The airline aims to have all its aircraft equipped with Starlink by the end of 2027.
British Airways Operated Its First Starlink-Equipped Flight Last Month
As mentioned above, 
British Airways operated its first Starlink-equipped flight already, and this took place last month on March 19, when the carrier operated a Boeing 787-8 aircraft between London and Houston. This became the first flight with Starlink operated by a UK carrier.
The rollout of Starlink connectivity on board British Airways flights is a part of the International Airline Group (IAG)’s wider plan, which will see Starlink being rolled out on board the entire fleet of IAG member airlines. This includes (apart from British Airways) 
Iberia, 
Aer Lingus, LEVEL, and Vueling. As is the case with Starlink connectivity onboard other airlines, access to it will be free of charge for passengers flying with British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus.
However, it is worth noting that IAG has received the necessary approval for its low-cost carriers – LEVEL and Vueling to charge a fee from its passengers who wish to access the onboard Starlink Wi-Fi. This will essentially enable the respective low-cost IAG member airlines to offset any potential costs related to additional weight onboard the aircraft and impacts to the aircraft’s aerodynamics.
Free Starlink Wi-Fi Is Coming To British Airways This Month – Here’s What We Know
The carrier is set to revolutionize in-flight connectivity with the introduction of Starlink Wi-Fi on its first aircraft this month.
Virgin Atlantic’s American Partner Opting For The Competition
While major European carriers and even American operators are selecting Starlink to provide their passengers with high-speed, low-latency network connectivity, Virgin Atlantic’s partner in the US, 
Delta Air Lines, has decided to partner with Amazon and their Amazon Leo service.
While this might seem unusual, the airline already collaborates with Amazon and is a user of Amazon Web Services (AWS), and therefore, integrating Amazon Leo will provide the airline with seamless operation and connectivity. The airline aims to install the system on board 500 of its aircraft starting in 2028.
Much like Starlink, Amazon Leo also uses thousands of satellites located within the lower Earth orbits to provide high-speed connectivity with minimal network latency. Apart from Delta Air Lines, the one other major carrier that has chosen Amazon Leo for high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi is the US-based carrier, JetBlue. The airline is set to have its first aircraft installed with the system in 2027.
