By Steven Scheer
JERUSALEM, June 15 (Reuters) – El Al Israel Airlines has signed a deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink to make high-speed internet available across its fleet starting next year, the airline said on Monday.
Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
Israel’s flag carrier said SpaceX’s Starlink service would be offered free of additional charge and would allow hundreds of customers to connect simultaneously, including on long-haul flights.
Global airlines are pushing to attract premium customers, and fast in-flight Wi-Fi has become an increasingly important perk.
Starlink, which operates around two-thirds of all satellites in space and is the major driver of revenue for SpaceX, had as of last week signed up 11 new airline customers so far in 2026. It faces competition from Amazon.
“The integration of Starlink technology into El Al aircraft is a significant step forward, allowing customers to stay connected in the air, enjoy live streaming and continue to work and communicate smoothly and without interruption,” said El Al Chief Executive Levy Halevy.
The airline has a relatively new long-haul fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft that is expected to continue growing in the next few years while it also expands its route network. It also has ordered Boeing 737 MAX aircraft for flights to Europe.
Since the Gaza war began in October 2023, El Al has faced limited competition and seen its profits rise as many foreign carriers suspended flights to Israel, though that is expected to change if an agreement between Washington and Tehran to halt the Iran war holds.
Key U.S. rivals Delta and United have already said they would resume flights to Tel Aviv in September.
Starlink, which uses thousands of low-Earth-orbit satellites rather than larger, slower geostationary satellites, is multiple times faster than legacy systems, according to Ookla, a broadband analytics firm.
(Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Joe Bavier)
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