Southwest’s first Starlink-equipped Boeing 737 flew from Dallas to Albuquerque on June 22, kicking off a rollout the airline says will reach more than 300 jets by year’s end.
Southwest Airlines flew its first Starlink-equipped flight June 22, sending a Boeing 737-800 from Dallas to Albuquerque, New Mexico, as part of a rollout set to reach 300-plus jets by year’s end.
The aircraft, registered N8543Z, departed Dallas Love Field and turned Southwest’s months-old promise of satellite-fed Wi-Fi into a service passengers could actually use, giving the Dallas-based carrier a tangible foothold in one of the airline industry’s fastest-moving cabin upgrades. Southwest said in February that the SpaceX-built Starlink network would bring next-generation Wi-Fi to its route map of 11 countries, letting customers stream, share files, and message in real time at cruising altitude. The carrier confirmed in its first-quarter results that at least 300 aircraft would carry Starlink by the end of 2026.
The push fits into a broader Southwest makeover that already includes assigned seating, extra-legroom seats, new fare products, in-seat power, and larger overhead bins, alongside free Wi-Fi for loyalty members. Southwest ended 2025 with 803 aircraft, meaning the 300-jet Starlink target would cover a substantial share of the fleet but not yet a majority. Ookla, the internet-testing firm, reported in its first-quarter 2025 Speedtest data that Starlink’s low-Earth-orbit network delivered stronger in-flight speed and latency than older satellite providers, underscoring how Wi-Fi has become a competitive selling point among U.S. carriers.
Southwest’s plane spent its first day in passenger service flying round trips between Dallas and both Albuquerque and Midland, Texas, according to Aerospace Global News. The outlet also reported the aircraft was scheduled for a multicity tour the next day, with stops planned in Boston, Chicago Midway, Ontario, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Orlando.
Southwest unveiled the Starlink partnership Feb. 11, 2026, describing a constellation of more than 9,000 satellites orbiting close to Earth that would support high-definition streaming, live gaming, real-time messaging, and large-file work in flight. Southwest has said it ultimately wants to upgrade its full fleet to high-speed, low-Earth-orbit satellite service, though Aerospace Global News reported the carrier does not plan to install Starlink specifically on every aircraft and may rely on more than one connectivity provider after the initial 300-jet rollout.
Access to the new Wi-Fi is tied to Southwest’s Rapid Rewards loyalty program. Southwest and T-Mobile announced their free Wi-Fi partnership Sept. 4, 2025, with free service for Rapid Rewards members beginning Oct. 24, 2025. T-Mobile said any Southwest customer can sign up for a free Rapid Rewards account before or during a flight to use the perk, regardless of which wireless carrier they use. Travelers who skip the loyalty program can still connect by paying Southwest’s current Wi-Fi fee of $8 per device per flight, according to a Southwest Wi-Fi guide updated by NerdWallet on June 23.
“Starlink delivers a new era of inflight connectivity to Southwest. Starting with this first aircraft, we will be rapidly integrating Starlink into our fleet this year. This ultra-fast WiFi brings an at-home experience to the air,” said Tony Roach, Southwest’s chief customer and brand officer. SpaceX has described Starlink’s in-flight experience as comparable to home internet service.
Mike Katz, T-Mobile’s president of marketing, strategy, and products, said the carrier’s free Wi-Fi tie-in with Southwest was designed to be simple. “We’re excited for Rapid Rewards Members to experience free in-flight WiFi from takeoff to landing — no strings, no surprises, just one more way we’re helping make travel a little smoother,” Katz said.
Starlink’s edge comes from its satellites’ proximity to Earth. The network’s satellites orbit 211 to 348 miles above the planet, compared with roughly 22,000 miles for the geostationary satellites used by many older in-flight Wi-Fi systems. That shorter distance lets data travel faster and allows Starlink to provide gate-to-gate coverage, rather than waiting until a plane climbs through 10,000 feet, as some legacy systems require. Simple Flying reported that Starlink’s download speeds on Southwest range from roughly 50 to 250 megabits per second, well above the 12 to 100 megabits per second Southwest’s older Viasat system has typically delivered; upload speeds range from about 24 to 37 megabits per second. Ookla’s first-quarter 2025 testing separately measured Starlink in-flight service at a median of 152.37 megabits per second download, 24.16 megabits per second upload, and significantly lower latency than the hundreds of milliseconds Ookla measured on non-low-Earth-orbit providers. Starlink’s own aviation materials note that listed speeds are maximums that are not guaranteed and can slow during periods of heavy network congestion.
Southwest’s older Wi-Fi systems remain in place across most of the airline’s fleet while the Starlink rollout continues. The carrier announced a $2 billion customer-experience investment in May 2022 that included upgraded Wi-Fi, new in-seat power and larger overhead bins. As part of that plan, Southwest brought in Anuvu to modernize equipment on 350 Boeing 737NG aircraft, a system Anuvu said would run up to 10 times faster than the hardware it replaced, while also adding Viasat connectivity to newly delivered aircraft beginning that fall. The Points Guy reported this month that Southwest’s current in-flight providers remain Anuvu and Viasat, and that planes still running older Anuvu hardware are being prioritized for Starlink installation.
Southwest joins a crowded field of U.S. carriers racing to upgrade in-flight Wi-Fi. United Airlines had more than 400 aircraft flying with Starlink as of June 22 and is aiming for close to 1,000 by the end of 2026, offering the service free to MileagePlus members; the airline also flew its first widebody transatlantic Starlink flight the same day Southwest’s first Starlink jet entered service. American Airlines has said it plans Starlink on more than 500 Airbus narrowbody jets, with installations beginning in the first quarter of 2027; access pricing has not been announced. Alaska Airlines is starting its own Starlink rollout this year. Hawaiian Airlines completed Starlink installation across its Airbus fleet in 2024 and offers the service free to every passenger; Ookla’s field testing found Hawaiian’s in-flight internet to be the fastest among U.S. carriers. Delta Air Lines and JetBlue have each chosen Amazon’s satellite network instead of Starlink: Delta plans an initial 500 Amazon Leo-equipped aircraft beginning in 2028, free to SkyMiles members through Delta Sync, while JetBlue plans to bring Amazon’s Project Kuiper to part of its fleet starting in 2027 under its free Fly-Fi brand.
Southwest closed out 2025 with record operating revenue of $28.1 billion, net income of $441 million and adjusted earnings before interest and taxes of $574 million, financial results the airline did not attribute to the Starlink rollout. The carrier’s first-quarter 2026 results credited broader business-transformation initiatives, including the planned Starlink deployment, with helping expand margins. Southwest ended 2025 with $3.2 billion in cash and equivalents and a $1.5 billion revolving credit line; the company has not disclosed the cost of the Starlink installation project.
Verified passenger feedback from the inaugural flight was scarce in the days immediately following the rollout. Aerospace Global News reported that reviews and in-flight videos were expected to surface after the aircraft’s June 23 multicity tour, and one outlet, Upgraded Points, noted that only a single aircraft carried Starlink initially and that Southwest had not yet added a way for customers to search for Starlink-equipped flights when booking. Southwest did not immediately publish passenger usage data from the first Starlink flight.
Southwest has offered satellite-based, gate-to-gate Wi-Fi connectivity on domestic flights since 2010. The carrier’s February announcement said it serves 118 airports across 11 countries and carried more than 134 million customers in 2025.
Key Takeaways
- Southwest’s first Starlink-equipped Boeing 737-800, tail number N8543Z, entered passenger service June 22 on a Dallas-to-Albuquerque route.
- The airline plans to equip more than 300 aircraft with Starlink by the end of 2026, out of a fleet that ended 2025 at 803 jets.
- Wi-Fi is free for Rapid Rewards members through a T-Mobile partnership; nonmembers can join free or pay Southwest’s existing $8-per-device fee.
- United already has Starlink on 400-plus jets, while Delta and JetBlue are pursuing Amazon’s satellite network instead, putting Southwest into an active industry race.