Emirates plans to equip its fleet with Starlink satellite internet from SpaceX – a move that could be Elon Musk's service's biggest victory in the aviation industry. This was reported by Bloomberg by sources familiar with the negotiations, writes UNN.
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According to them, Emirates intends to upgrade onboard Wi-Fi on all its wide-body aircraft, of which there are about 250 in the fleet, as well as on more than 300 liners ordered from Boeing and Airbus. The announcement of the deal is expected at the Dubai Airshow, which starts on Monday.
Cooperation with the world's largest international airline would be a significant recognition of Starlink technology. At the same time, the process is complicated by the fact that the United Arab Emirates has not yet allowed the use of this service on its territory, and Emirates' flagship A380 aircraft does not yet have the necessary certification.
Emirates and SpaceX have not yet commented on the negotiations.
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Regional competitors are already moving forward: Qatar Airways was the first in the Persian Gulf to launch Starlink on its Boeing 777s and is upgrading its A350s. According to Bloomberg, SpaceX also offered the service to Gulf Air, Flydubai, and signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia's Saudia. During Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, Musk stated that the kingdom "will allow Starlink for use in aviation and at sea." Bahrain, Jordan, and Lebanon have already granted the relevant permits.
If the UAE government lifts the restrictions, Emirates could become Starlink's most prestigious customer in global aviation.
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