Hanjin Group Airlines to Install SpaceX Starlink In-Flight Wi‑Fi
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
Five Hanjin Group carriers—Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, Air Busan, and Air Seoul—will progressively install SpaceX’s satellite internet service Starlink on their fleets to offer high-speed, low-latency in-flight Wi‑Fi. The move, the first for a Korean airline group, aims to improve passenger experience ahead of deeper integration between the full-service carriers (FSC) and low-cost carriers (LCC). Starlink uses thousands of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites (about 550 km altitude) to deliver speeds up to 500 Mbps, enabling seamless OTT streaming, online gaming, messaging, large file transfers, cloud collaboration, and other ground-like connectivity from every cabin class. Preparatory work and testing begin late this year, with service rollouts varying by airline and earliest availability expected after Q3 2026. Korean Air and Asiana will first equip long-haul types such as the Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A350-900, targeting full adoption across their fleets by end of 2027; Jin Air will start with Boeing 737-8 aircraft, while Air Busan and Air Seoul are still selecting initial types. Hanjin Group and Starlink executives highlighted the upgrade as a major enhancement to in-flight service and productivity. Starlink, run by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, already serves users in over 150 countries and is being adopted by major global carriers as a next-generation onboard internet solution.
