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Lufthansa is set to be the next major carrier to launch high-speed Starlink WiFi on its scheduled passenger flights, with the Cologne-based German flag carrier and 
Star Alliance founding member planning an August 19 rollout. The new connectivity solution will initially be available on one of the airline’s Airbus A320neo narrowbody twinjets, but, over the coming few years, it will be fitted to some 850 aircraft.
This figure comprises the combined fleets of all of the member airlines that make up the wider Lufthansa Group today. Apart from Lufthansa itself, the members set to get the upgrade the soonest are SWISS, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines, with the group-wide rollout expected to be completed by 2029. This will bring free high-speed WiFi to the Lufthansa Group and its flyers, but there is a catch.
Fast, Free WiFi Is Coming To Lufthansa
Lufthansa will operate its inaugural flight with the first upgraded Airbus A320neo narrowbody twinjet that features Starlink WiFi on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. As part of this considerable upgrade to its onboard offering, the German flag carrier says that “guests will experience an internet bandwidth above the clouds that, in many cases, is faster than their internet connection at home or in the office.”
The upgraded WiFi will be free to use, but only for Miles & More (Lufthansa’s frequent flyer program) customers and Travel ID (a cross-group single login system for guests traveling on multiple airlines within the Lufthansa Group) users. With that being said, both are free to join, meaning that there should be no real obstacle for anyone wanting to use Starlink. Lufthansa Group CCO Dieter Vranckx said that:
“Our product promise doesn’t end with the seats or the menu – today, connectivity is also an integral part of a truly outstanding onboard experience.”
All 850 Lufthansa Group Aircraft Will Have Starlink WiFi By 2029
Lufthansa is more than just the German flag carrier. Indeed, it is a wider airline group that also features such major operators as Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, and SWISS. Away from its network airlines, other members include Air Dolomiti, Discover Airlines, Edelweiss Air, Eurowings, and Lufthansa City Airlines. Furthermore, the German flag carrier has a 50% stake in leisure giant SunExpress.
All of that is to say that a group-wide rollout of Starlink WiFi will not be able to take place overnight. With that being said, the Lufthansa Group is currently projecting that the 850 aircraft across its various member airlines that it plans to fit with Starlink WiFi should have their installations completed by 2029. As Vranckx puts it, “all travel classes on all Lufthansa Group airlines” will feature the new WiFi.
The reason for Starlink’s high speeds, which are one of its key selling points along with it being free to use, is the fact that its satellites operate in a low-earth orbit, as opposed to the more distant conventional satellites that provide slower connectivity. For Lufthansa’s flyers, this means that “watching video content, cloud-based work, and other high-speed applications” will all be possible during their flights.
Lufthansa Has Drawn Up Terms To Ensure Responsible Usage
Many passengers will be excited by this news, but some may have understandable concerns. Recent years have seen standards slip in terms of music and videos playing out loud from mobile phones, and certain flyers may be worried that the increasing availability of fast and free WiFi could see this worrying trend spread to aircraft cabins. Lufthansa, however, is determined that this is not to happen.
Indeed, Starlink users on its flights are bound by certain terms and conditions that, in its own words, “were developed based on passenger surveys and thus reflect the wishes of the majority of Lufthansa Group customers.” These include the requirement to wear headphones when consuming audiovisual content. Other rules include the fact that passengers may not make calls or live streams while in the air.
