Starlink’s First Airline Customer Offers Complimentary Internet Connection

As the in-flight connectivity race continues onward, Starlink-equipped bizjet operator JSX publicized their recent speed test results achieved during a routine cruise.

JSX (formerly JetSuiteX) was the first operator to sign a deal with the satellite-based internet provider earlier this year, standing apart from a crowd of ground-based networks aiming for the business aviation market. So far, the airline has been happy with the service, which they offer as a free perk for passengers as they look to build market share throughout their western stomping grounds. Serving the competitive routes around California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, and New York, JSX opted to take the unproved offering in SpaceX, signing themselves up to be the first of only 2 Starlink-equipped airlines. The other, Hawaiian Airlines, has yet to begin rollout on the new service, making JSX a visible testbed of the service’s viability in the wild. 

Unofficial testing is heartening, with Ookla-provided testing showing a peak download speed of 100 Mbps while at cruise. Fine speeds, especially compared to terrestrial internet connections customers use at home, but whether or not that performance is enough to unseat the current crop of in-flight satellite providers Intelsat and Viasat remains unknown. Also in the mix is Gogo’s growing 5g network, offering nationwide coverage and plenty of speed all its own. Industry rumor has it that SpaceX has already approached the big legacy air carriers in the USA to little enthusiasm, but not much more detail is known. Whether the airlines are content with the in-flight internet already on contract, or they want the young upstart provider to build more of a name for itself, most carriers are content to wait and see. Maybe they’re missing out, and JSX, fairly young and nimble like SpaceX, is ahead of the curve. 

FMI: www.jsx.com